San Francisco prepares for annual 4th of July fireworks show

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) -- Last year, COVID-19 canceled San Francisco's annual Fourth of July fireworks show along the waterfront -- but this year it's back.

Pyrotechnicians have been working around the clock to make the celebration happen.

Just to set it up it's about 30 people working over three days. Usually the planning stage starts in March, but this year they didn't get the call until mid-May because of COVID-19.

"We're preparing to do what we haven't done for about a year and a half and that is send a giant wall of joy towards San Francisco in the form of a great big firework show for the Fourth of July."

Pyro Spectaculars by Souza Show producer Pat Dyas says although he's been busy, he's grateful this show is happening.

"We've managed to get everything done. Of course, a lot of stress. A lot of long hours," Dyas said.

Right now, more than a thousand fireworks are set up -- each ready to for their moment.

Dyas showed one of his favorites.

"When this shell breaks you'll see golden trails that look like spokes on a wheel with red tips," he said. "Once it spread out those red tips will swim away."

He says there is a wire attached to each shell that goes into a terminal which is attached to a computer.

The computer is programmed to fire each shell.

"As a show producer we get a song and we listen to the song and we have a coregraphy progam and as we listen to a song we decide where we want a shell to break and we tap a key."

He says they have thousands of different types of fireworks. As a show producer, Dyas decides how the show is going to look.

He has been doing this for 40 years. He says he's had such longevity because he's been careful.

"It says dangerous right there on it. These, there's no way to sugar coat this, they will kill you," he said. "They will blow you to pieces."

He says it's important that people don't try to get their hands on these types of fireworks.

Instead, leave it to the professionals who have trained to put on these types of shows.

"Beautiful fireworks and it's just going to be awesome to be out here in front of San Francisco again doing what we do."

There are two barges both have the same number of fireworks, about a thousand.

They range in diameter from about three inches to 10 inches.

from KRON4 https://ift.tt/3dGnUNK