The night sky of some American cities will remain dark this Independence Day, with the supply chain and staff shortages, drought and concern over wildfires leading to the cancellation of several fire shows artificial throughout the country.
For some, it will be the third year in a row that their shows have been suspended.
“The first two years were related to the pandemic and this year, it’s related to the supply chain,” said Adam Waltz, a spokesman for the city of Phoenix, where the three main fireworks shows have been canceled. . According to Mr. Waltz, the salesman who normally supplies the city with his fireworks had been unable to promise the product.
“It’s just discouraging,” he added.
Other cities have canceled their fireworks shows due to forest fire concerns. In the west in particular, the drought and the hot, dry and windy weather this summer have already helped set the conditions for fast-moving flames. On Friday, there were 55 major wildfires burning in 11 states, including the Rices fire in Nevada County, California, which had grown to more than 900 acres since it began Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
In Flagstaff, Arizona, about 150 miles north of Phoenix, city officials decided they would rather plan a laser light show than organize fireworks that they might have to cancel at the last minute, if weather conditions they meant they could not perform the show safely.
“We face dangerous conditions,” said Sarah Langley, a city spokeswoman. He said the city had not yet made a decision on whether it would continue to replace fireworks with laser light shows in the coming years.
In North Lake Tahoe, California, city officials said they decided to replace their July 4 annual fireworks show with drones, also due to fire hazards as well as other environmental hazards. (A variety of chemicals are needed that can be polluting to make fireworks shows big, strong, and colorful).
July 4 fireworks on Lake Tahoe in 2018. Many cities, such as North Lake Tahoe, opt for laser or drone displays instead of fireworks for the 2022 holiday. Credit … Elias Funez / The Union, via Associated Press
Exhibitions at Don Pedro Lake, about 50 miles east of Modesto, California, and Claremont, California, about 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, have also been canceled due to the paralyzing drought of the state.
In Claremont, this is the third year in a row that the show has been canceled, said Melissa Vollaro, a city spokeswoman. He said about 650,000 gallons of water are needed to wet the area where the fireworks are set up, which was impossible with current water restrictions. Instead, he said, the city was planning a concert in the park.
Other cities have canceled their shows due to staff shortages.
Cal Expo of Sacramento said it had to focus its staff and resources on the upcoming state fair and food festival and therefore was unable to host Independence Day fireworks. In Ocean City, Maryland, authorities said two fireworks shows could not take place due to “labor shortages.” Minneapolis officials also said they had to suspend the screen due to the construction of a local park as well as staffing issues.
In many other parts of the country, including New York City, Independence Day celebrations are taking place as planned. For some, it is the first time they will exhibit fireworks since before the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone is ready to celebrate their independence from this virus,” said Julie L. Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
Mrs. Heckman said that while some shows were canceled, he still expected the number of professional fireworks across the country to exceed those in 2020 and 2021.
“Demand is at 110 percent of prepandemic levels,” Ms. Heckman, and added that he expected about 17,000 shows across the country during the days surrounding Independence Day. (Before the coronavirus pandemic, he said, there were about 16,000 shows during this period nationwide.)
Some city residents with canceled shows plan to light their own fireworks. Some types of consumer fireworks are legal in 49 states, as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, although individual counties and cities can enforce the bans, Ms. Heckman. Consumer fireworks are banned in Massachusetts.
Families gathered in a downtown Atlanta neighborhood to light fireworks on July 4, 2020. Credit … Joshua Rashaad McFadden for The New York Times
Dennis Revell, a spokesman for TNT Fireworks, the nation’s largest distributor of consumer fireworks, said that by 2020, when the vast majority of public events were canceled, TNT sales would increase significantly, both in terms of gross sales, such as the number of people who buy their products. “We have withheld a lot of that in 2021,” Mr. Revell. But, he added, “it’s too early to predict what 2022 will be like.”
Some smaller retailers, however, have also been affected by supply chain problems.
Eyvonne Hall, the owner of Discount Fireworks in Brainerd, Minnesota, about 130 miles northwest of Minneapolis, said she had been waiting for more than a month for some orders, which had previously taken a week to arrive.
He said he had called 12 different vendors to look for a particularly beloved firework: Pure Fantasy. “They’re nice and colorful, and the fountain goes up a lot and people love it,” Ms. Hall. “It’s been slow this year,” he added. “I just hope it picks up in the next few days.”
In Queen Creek, about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix, where public fireworks have been canceled, another vendor said his business had picked up, thanks in part to the cancellations.
“They’re very disappointed, and it’s a shame, but they’re very excited to try these new sources at home,” Christian Valles, who runs the fireworks stop, told his clients. He added: “They will have a good show.”
Michael Lusiak, a firefighter enthusiast in Green Bay, Wisconsin, about 115 miles north of Milwaukee, said that since 2020, he has been trying to increase his private show, hoping to dazzle the festivities of the Day. of Independence that perhaps they had had no place. another to go.
The best time, said Mr. Lusiak, a farmer who hosts shows at his employer’s cornfield, is the grand finale. “I can feel the shock waves on my chest, and I know I’m making a statement that people for miles will see or hear,” he said.
“All the applause and horns,” he added, “is one of the best feelings in the world.”
Correction:
June 30, 2022
An earlier version of this article mistakenly located the city of Queen Creek, Arizona. It is located southeast of Phoenix, not southwest.