When I met my husband, he told me that his hobby was pyrotechnics. I knew that meant fireworks. I didn’t know that every 4th of July he was out there setting them off — legally — as part of a town’s fireworks show. Now I’m out there, too, and still amazed at how many hours of hard work go into that 15- or 20-minute show.
There are seven people on our crew, plus our crew chief, Joe. A crew chief has passed a state exam and is a licensed pyrotechnician. Everyone else must pass a three-hour class on basic safety and state and federal regulations.
On the day of the show, we arrive at the field around noon. Our first job is to unload a big truck, which was packed the night before with everything we need for the show. This includes the actual fireworks and the tubes, or “guns,” for launching them. The explosives stay in the truck while we unload and set up the guns.
Fireworks shells are labeled by the shell diameter. A #2 shell is two inches in diameter, a #6 is six inches, etc. Larger shells go up higher before exploding and make bigger displays. There is a separate gun for each shell size. Guns are sections of steel pipe mounted side by side in wooden racks.
Once we’ve put the racks in the right configuration for the show, we nail them together with long, three-inch-wide lathes to hold them steady. Meanwhile a couple of the more experienced crew members are sorting out the approximately 1,500 shells to determine which shells will be put in which guns.
Each shell looks like an avocado wrapped in masking tape, with a two-foot tail hanging off. Inside the wrapping is a lifting charge that blows the shell out of the gun into the sky. It then lights a second fuse that sets off the explosive to make the display. The length of the second fuse is correlated with the size of the lifting charge, so the shell doesn’t explode until it’s reached the correct height. One shell goes in each gun, with the tail hanging out.
Some shells are stand-alone, but most are linked in series by attaching their tails. These go off in sequence once the fuse for the first shell is lit. The biggest series are those used for the grand finale.
By 7 p.m., the setup is done and we take a break. The fire marshal and town building inspector have performed several safety checks. A fire truck and a rescue vehicle with EMTs will be standing by during the show.
Despite the heat, by 9 p.m. everyone is in long pants and sturdy shoes. We put on hooded sweatshirts to cover the backs of our necks, and heavy denim or leather jackets. Hard hats, safety goggles, earplugs and heavy gloves complete the outfit.
Today many fireworks shows are fired electronically by one person working at a computer console a safe distance away. This also allows the fireworks to be coordinated with recorded music. Our crew is one of the few still setting off shows by hand.
The three crew members who will light the fuses are stationed around the field. Joe begins shouting instructions, and the first shell goes up. After that, it’s controlled chaos. The field is full of smoke and running figures. It’s a scene out of old war movies and the closest to combat I ever want to come. The crowd is oohing and aahhing as shells go up and explode.
In just under 20 minutes, the show is over. We head back toward the cars to catch our breath. Cleanup can’t start until the guns have cooled down and we’ve checked them for unexploded shells.
Taking down the show requires that we pull out every nail we hammered in earlier
and load everything back into the truck. Luckily taking things apart is a lot
faster than building them! By midnight we're on our way home — tired,
sore and very dirty, but proud to have put on another great show.
History
of fireworks
More information on how fireworks
are made and how they work
Some beautiful
pictures of fireworks displays
About the author:
Paula Grey writes grant applications for a living and articles like
this for fun. She’s been a Mensa member since 1996 and lives in Wakefield,
R.I., with her husband, Jay. Every July 3rd and 4th you can find her in New
Hampshire putting on fireworks shows.
"Fireworks Reflected" © Julia Freeman-Woolpert | Dreamstime.com