Fireworks set off at a dock on Lake Minnetonka early Wednesday set five boats and a marina dock on fire, with one person arrested for property damage, officials said.
Fireworks at Lake Minnetonka set five boats and marina dock on fire; one arrested
An 18-year-old awaits possible charges of criminal damage to property.
July 5, 2023 at 8:03PM
The incident occurred about 1:45 a.m. in Orono on Brown's Bay along the 1400 block of Shoreline Drive, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies assisted firefighters in putting out the flames, said Sheriff's Maj. Pat Enderlein.
Surveillance video showed "multiple individuals lighting fireworks around the marina docks just before the fire and then running from the marina," Enderlein said.
Several people were detained, with one of them arrested. The 18-year-man was booked into jail and awaits possible charges of criminal damage to property. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.
The trouble on the bay came as Minneapolis was coping with a rash of disturbances all around the city involving large groups of people setting off fireworks — at times targeting civilians and police or their vehicles.
Beyond Minneapolis in the county, the Sheriff's Office fielded more than 225 fireworks complaints from Monday into the first hours of Wednesday, Enderlein said. There were 42 complaints on Monday from 8 p.m. to midnight, another 170 throughout July 4th and another 15 on Wednesday from 12:01 a.m. to 1 a.m., the major said.
The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.
