Fourth of July fireworks displays are expected to be launched as usual across the Tucson area despite a rash of recent wildfires that have burned thousands of acres in Southern Arizona.
City and town officials from Marana, to Tucson, to Oro Valley and Sahaurita say they’re moving forward with plans for Independence Day shows.
Between 18,000 and 20,000 people are expected to spend the Fourth of July at Marana’s Star-Spangled Spectacular, which includes a 20-minute fireworks display.
Marana is planning a “robust safety protocol,” leading up to the big event and received an extra safety-boost thanks to a recent brush fire in the Santa Cruz wash that burned away a lot of potential wildfire fuel near the town’s fireworks launch site, said Shelby Scheer, the town’s recreation supervisor.
“It actually helped us be a lot safer,” Scheer said. Firefighters also did a bit of back burning in that area to further prevent fires from feeding off brush.
“We’re really confident in our safety plan,” she said. “The safety of all guest is paramount to our operations.”
Oro Valley will be working closely with its first responders on July 4, when residents gather at James Kriegh Park with their eyes on the sky.
On the ground, police, fire and pyrotechnic experts will be working together to launch fireworks safely into the dark sky. The explosives will be launched from a “secured fallout zone” and that fire suppression equipment and first responders will be on site should anything get out of control, said Jeffery Hidalgo, a town spokesman.
Cities and towns across metro Tucson say Independence Day fireworks are on track despite recent brush and wildfires. Sahuarita, however is switching to a drone show, citing ongoing development in the area making it difficult to finding a safe launch area.
If at anytime during the event Oro Valley is advised that conditions are not right for the show, “we would certainly honor that,” Hidalgo added.
“We are certainly taking all necessary precautions and are being mindful of the current wildfire activity in Southern Arizona.”
Tucson plans to celebrate its 28th Annual A Mountain 4th of July Celebration, a show where fireworks are launched from the top of Sentinel Peak.
The show is put on by a professional pyrotechnics company and is closely monitored by the Tucson Fire Department, said Andy Squire, a city spokesman.
“(Tucson Fire) has implemented, for many years now, a very successful operational plan in place to prepare the mountain and prevent fires in the show area,” Squire said.
“If conditions were to change/worsen and our fire professionals felt that the risk has become too great, then the city manager will take that information to the mayor and council for a decision to be made,” he said.
Sahaurita had a few issues to deal with this Fourth of July season, including where they’d set up and shoot off their traditional fireworks show.
Encroaching homes and businesses made it incredibly difficult to find a safe launch site, said Devin Stalder, Sahuarita’s parks and recreation director.
“There’s no safe shoot site in our growing community and fire restrictions make it harder and harder to find a location,” he said. “We got to the point where we realized that a long term, traditional big show was not going to work for us.”
So, Stalder and his coworkers got creative, contracting with a pyrotechnic drone show, which he hopes will continue for the long term.
“It’s an easier show to manage, and likely safer for us as a town.”
