Miami Beach Cancels July 4 Fireworks Out of Respect for Surfside Victims

U.S.|Miami Beach cancels its July 4 fireworks out of respect for the victims.

• June 29, 2021, 9:22 a.m. ET

Miami Beach has canceled its Independence Day celebrations on Sunday out of respect for the victims of the collapsed condo building in the neighboring town of Surfside, Fla., and their families.

The city’s annual Fire on the Fourth festival had been scheduled for July 4 at 72nd Street and Collins Avenue, about a mile south of where Champlain South Towers partially collapsed last week. At least 11 people were killed, and about 150 were missing as of Monday.

Holiday celebrations in other parts of Miami-Dade County have been scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Yuliya Popchenkova, a resident of Surfside, said she wasn’t surprised by the decision to cancel the Miami Beach event.

“I knew it was going to happen even before they announced it,” said Ms. Popchenkova, who lives near the site of the collapse. “It’s respectful; this was a tragedy.”

Ms. Popchenkova, who works at a Surfside hotel, also said she wasn’t worried about any money she may miss out on this weekend. “We might not make as much money as we did last Fourth of July, but it’s important to be respectful.”

As for her own Fourth of July plans, Ms. Popchenkova said she wasn’t sure what she’ll do. “I’ll probably just call my family,” she said. “And make sure I tell them that I love them.”