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The 4th Of July is coming, and you are fortunate enough to be in a state that allows Consumer Firework's! You want to put on your own display for family and friends. Where do you begin?!
Step 1: Set Up
The Crowd: First you must set up a spectator area away from the firework's display. 80 Feet is the minimum for aerial fireworks. But for fountains and wheels, you can be much closer, (12 feet). So set up your display accordingly. If your planning on rocking your crowd with mortars and tubes, and 100 shot repeaters, keep them at the safest distance!
Launch Zone: Level ground, no dry grass, no tree's, never up wind from the crowd, and away from any buildings are all musts for your display area where you will be lighting off your fireworks.
Fallout: There should also be a large open area for any debris left from the fireworks you are shooting off to fall away from your crowd. This should be a large area, and nothing that could possible catch fire should be around this area. Set this area down wind from where you will be shooting off your fireworks. Also, clean up this area after you launch, and after the debris is given a chance to cool off.
Step 2: Choosing your Fireworks
There are many different types of fireworks you can use in your show. If your looking for a big powerhouse show to excite the crowd, you'll need Mortar's, tubes, big rockets, and aerial repeaters. If your looking to please a smaller crowd with smaller items, you can use Roman candles, bottle rockets, helicopters, and fountains.
I've left product descriptions and reviews for all the products I've ever used on the Product Review section of this site, go there to help you decide what is right for you.
Step 3: Lighting Off Your Display
Now comes the fun part! Pleasing your crowd! Depending on what type of show your doing you want to keep your crowd happy at all times. This means setting the show up, ahead of time, so that you are ready to quickly, but carefully, launch your fireworks off. You may want to start off your show with a slightly larger, eye catching item to set the tone, then move back into smaller things, then up into your mortars and tubes, and smaller repeaters. Always leave your biggest item for last, as your "Grand Finale"! It might be a good idea to have multiple lighters, and someone there to hold a flashlight at the fuse for you at all times. You may also want to get something slightly larger then a normal cigarette lighter to make it easier to light the firework and get away.
Step 4: Clean Up
Never just leave the spent cases of your fireworks or the debris that has fallen from them laying around. Wait for them to cool off then clean them up properly. Also, it may not be a good idea to burn the garbage on a fire if you happen to be camping. There may be some left over powder in the casings that could cause sparks or even worse.
Remeber to be safe, and please do not rely on my source to be your only source! I don't know everything, and I don't know what situation you may be in! Be careful at all times, lets prove our State just how safe Consumer fireworks are so that they can some day be legal in all 50 United States of America!!!!
