Updated Jun 30, 2008 - 6:49 pm
Pyro crews prepare for July 4th
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710 KIRO Reporter
The show may only last 21 minutes, but it takes all year to create. Pyrotechnic crews are closing on the final steps before the big fireworks show on Lake Union this Friday night.
There are high expectations this year as each year keeps getting better. "I think you're a little bit spoiled, which is good. I want to keep spoiling you, so I'll do my best to do that," says John Berson, the manager of special projects for Pyro Spectaculars.
Berson and his crew are loading the barge for the WaMu Family 4th fireworks show on Seattle's Lake Union. "We're just setting up the barge for loading. We have to put the pads down, we have to put the mortar racks up, and build the mortar racks with the various angles that they have."
The 21 minute show takes more than just gunpowder and a lighter. "We really start talking about next year's show right after this year's show. We start buying product in October and November, we start designing in February, and we start the technical design in March and April."
Berson says they'll probably be working 14 hour days between now and July 4th. "A lot of things in the show are things we've done here in Seattle before that seem to be crowd-pleasers."
Berson says the economy has been tough on his industry and "the European stuff has gotten really expensive. There have been some shipping issues out of China, so it's been a very challenging year. But they haven't gotten in the way of this show." He says the smaller towns may feel the effects of an economic pinch. "The big shows, like the show in Seattle, show in Boston, show in New York; those shows are really on the same scale they always have been. Cost of fuel is affecting everybody, so these small towns are scrambling for dollars to put on displays."
With 2,300 shells, Berson says the display this year will be a blast. "It's a good time to sit back and celebrate being an American."
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