While Americans celebrated the holiday weekend, there were some tragic accidents reported.
It was holiday horror over the weekend as backyard fireworks set two homes ablaze.
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It happened in Sacramento, California. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The July 4 holiday weekend brought spectacular displays of patriotism - but also some agonizing moments.
A single-engine plane towing an ad banner suddenly lost power - and crash-landed on a beach near San Diego. The aircraft flipped over and actually clipped a 12-year-old boy.
Nicholas Baer was given emergency treatment by lifeguards before being rushed to the hospital.
"No one expects an airplane to be making an emergency landing on a beach," said beachgoer Cory Vaughn, who shot dramatic video moments before the plane crashed.
"What sort of reaction was there from people on the beach? Were they warning people to get out of the way?" asked INSIDE EDITION'S Les Trent.
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"When people started noticing that the plane was coming to land on the beach, that's when it was like a horror movie, like T-Rex had escaped out of a cage or something," said Vaughn.
In Maine, a fireworks party turned tragic when aspiring actor Devon Staples set off a firework on his head. He was killed instantly. Staples worked at Disney World, playing characters like "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast.
And another July 4 mishap: New York Giants star Jason Pierre-Paul was setting off fireworks when it blew up in his hand. He posted a video online shortly before the accident, which could jeopardize his $15 million contract with the Giants.
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