In some cities, no fireworks
July 4th may be dark in spots that point to wildfire danger, costs, labor, supply shortages
PHOENIX — The skies over a scattering of Western cities will stay dark for the third consecutive Fourth of July as some major fireworks displays are canceled again this year — some over wildfire concerns amid dry weather and others because of enduring pandemic-related staffing and supply chain issues.
Phoenix canceled its three major Independence Day displays because it couldn’t obtain professional-grade fireworks.
“Unless you’re in a really remote area where that was the only show, most people will be able to find a show nearby,” said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
Overseas shipping, transportation in the U.S., rising insurance costs and labor shortages have led to the canceled displays, along with demand for fireworks shows at concerts, sports stadiums and the Fourth of July holiday that largely were absent during the first two years of the pandemic, Heckman said.
“The demand is so high that it’s almost like a perfect storm,” Heckman said, adding that not having enough crew to work the shows or rental trucks to transport materials have added to the crunch.
China produces most of the professional-grade fireworks that produce colorful, dazzling bursts in various shapes. The shortage doesn’t lie in manufacturing, Heckman said, but in congestion at U.S. ports.
Heckman said some companies recently chartered a dozen vessels, each carrying 200 to 250 containers of consumer-grade fireworks, and shipped them to ports in Alabama and Louisiana to free up space at ports on the West Coast.
Other cities around the country are halting the displays because of the threat of wildfire.
Flagstaff in northern Arizona will carry out its Independence Day parade through downtown, but a new laser light show will replace the standard pyrotechnic display. Three wildfires skirted the mountainous city in the spring, prompting hundreds of people to evacuate, closing a major highway and destroying some homes.
“The decision was made early because we wanted people to be able to make plans with their families,” said Flagstaff city spokesperson Sarah Langley.
Many local jurisdictions have banned fireworks amid drought, even with an early start of the rainy season that has led to flooding in the Southwest.
Fireworks are prohibited in national forests.
Lompoc in California and Castle Rock in Colorado canceled pyrotechnic displays over worries about wildfires. Still, an Independence Eve fireworks show with live music by the Colorado Symphony is planned for Sunday at Denver’s Civic Center Park.
The Southgate Mall in Missoula, Montana, canceled its annual Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show without giving a reason.
Elsewhere, some North Carolina towns canceled displays after a recent fireworks-related explosion killed a man on a farm and a cache of fireworks were destroyed in a related fire.
In Minneapolis, a fireworks display over the Mississippi River won’t be held because of staff shortages and construction at a nearby park.
And those who plan to light up bottle rockets, firecrackers and ground-level fountains at home can expect to pay more.
The American Pyrotechnic Association estimates that costs are up 35% across the industry.