Orlando warehouse fire: Families of 4 killed settle lawsuit with company

Settlement reached in deadly fireworks warehouse explosion

The families of the four people who were killed when a fireworks warehouse exploded in Orange County have settled a lawsuit with the company. The fire happened in December 2022 at Magic in the Sky. One person survived the explosion. Investigators say the warehouse was not designed to house explosives. The terms of the settlement have not yet been released.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The families of the four people who were killed when a fireworks warehouse exploded in Orange County have settled a lawsuit with the company Magic in the Sky.

However, the terms of the settlement have not yet been released.

The FOX 35 News team is working to learn more details about the lawsuit.

What led to the deadly explosion?

The backstory:

The warehouse fire broke out on Dec. 1, 2022, in Southwest Orange County at 901 Central Florida Parkway in Taft.

The warehouse was home to multiple businesses, but the fire was contained to just one unit. Officials said there were reports of explosives going off inside the building as crews arrived at the scene of the explosion.

Only one person survived the explosion.

Fireworks ignite in Orlando-area warehouse fire leaving several injured

Several people were taken to the hospital following a warehouse fire in Orange County on Thursday evening, fire officials said.

What is Magic in the Sky?

What we know:

Magic in the Sky is a fireworks company whose clients included SeaWorld Entertainment.

All four of the people killed in the explosion, as well as the fifth person who was severely injured, worked at the company.

The type of fireworks that were stored at the facility are called "special effects" fireworks. These are professional-grade fireworks, larger than bottle rockets and sparklers, but not as large as the fireworks you may see during a show on the Fourth of July.

FOX 35 discovered that Magic in the Sky was not permitted to store fireworks in the warehouse, and Orange County officials said they had no idea it was even there. They said the business didn’t have any permit or business license with the county to keep fireworks there. According to records, there wasn’t even one filed, let alone approved.

Drone video: Damage after fire at warehouse storing fireworks

Video from FOX 35's SKYFOX drone shows the extent of the damage after a fire broke out at a warehouse in Orange County, Florida, on Thursday night. Officials said the warehouse stored fireworks, some of which went off during the fire.

Who are the victims of the explosion?

Local perspective:

The four people killed in the explosion are: Landon Bourland, 24; David Gonzalez, 22; Lindsey Phillips, 23; and Elizabeth Tiralongo, 22.

Several others were injured in the fire, including 27-year-old Lindsey Tallafuss, who was fighting for her life in the hospital after being burned on 62% of her body.

Here's what we know about the victims of the fire:

Elizabeth Lissie Tiralongo

Born in South Florida in Pembroke Pines
Came to Central Florida to attend the University of Central Florida and graduated in May 2022
"Elizabeth Tiralongo was a beautiful soul," said Ryan Will, Tiralongo’s family’s attorney. "She was a bright young woman with a really great future ahead of her."

New details released about woman killed in Orlando fireworks fire

For the first time, Fox 35 news is learning more about one of the victims in the massive fire at a fireworks warehouse in Orange County last December.

David Gonzalez

David Gonzalez's mother and father filed a wrongful death lawsuit in November 2024 against Magic in the Sky and other entities, seeking more than $50,000, as well as a jury trial.

Lindsey Phillips

Grew up near New Orleans
Graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021 with a 4.0 GPA
Moved to Orlando to pursue her dreams of working in the theme park industry
Wanted to become a Disney Imagineer
Suffered burns on more than 90% of her body
"I am in the deepest valley of grief that a mother can go through, and it's just the missing her and wanting to be with her is very hard," said mother Amy Phillips said from her home in Louisiana.

Mom of victim in deadly warehouse fire says daughter dreamed of being Disney 'Imagineer'

For the first time, we are hearing from a grieving mother who lost her daughter in a massive warehouse fire in Orange County that caught fire, killing four people and hurting another badly.

Landon Bourland

Lead pyro technician at Magic in the Sky
Pyro technician at Universal Orlando Resort
Decor Tech at Universal Orlando Resort
Studied at Florida Gulf Coast University

Lindsey Tallafuss

Was in a medically-induced coma with burns across much of her body, says her brother Jason.
Lone survivor had more than six surgeries
Tallafuss' brother said she loved having a job that made people smile and that she has a huge heart

Survivor of warehouse fireworks fire continues to fight for her life

The family of Lindsey Tallafuss says the 27-year-old continues to fight for her life.

What led to the lawsuits?

Dig deeper:

The massive explosion has led to a multitude of legal questions over whether the company was allowed to store fireworks at the warehouse.

Investigators say the warehouse was not designed to house explosives.

The families of the four who were killed all filed separate lawsuits against Magic in the Sky and several other companies, claiming negligence.

A motion filed by SeaWorld this week says the five lawsuits have been consolidated into one case, which they want to see deemed as "complex" under Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. If approved, this would grant the parties extra time for discovery.

The new settlement of the lawsuit means prosecutors can move forward with a criminal investigation.

New lawsuit filed against Magic in the Sky

Just over five months ago, a warehouse in Orange County that was being used to store fireworks caught on fire, killing four people and critically injuring another.

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