Behind The Scenes Of Valley’s Largest Firework Show

PALM SPRINGS – It takes hours of design, hard work, sweat.

“We’ve been out here since 6 AM,” says Michael Martin, pyro-tech for Pyro-Spectaculars of Rialto.

It’s all done to wow the crowd.

“I want to give everyone a good show,” says Martin.

People are celebrating Independence Day across the nation and the valley. At the Palm Springs Stadium, it’s an all-american Fourth of July. There’s baseball, hot dogs, and a firework show choreographed to music.

“There is a lot of meticulous wiring,” says Martin. ” Everything has to be cued at a certain time.”

Behind the scenes, there’s the planning, set up and manpower . It takes an 8 man crew to prepare for the deserts largest firework display. For the big show more than 800 of these will fly into the sky. This is a two day job for the team of pyro-techs. They set up the racks, fill mortars with shells, get it all wired and check every angle.

“We can’t cross any of the wires or it will pull out other wires and some won’t go off,” says Lucas Johnstone, Pyro-Spectaculars. ” We also have to be careful for static electricity.”

With more than 10 thousand people expected to gather at the stadium, it’s the crews job to keep every safe, while lighting up the sky.

“We have to keep a perimeter around the fireworks, as a safe zone,” says Martin.

Once the excitement burns out, it’s back to work for the pyro-techs. Thirty minutes of bright- flying colors leaves behind hours of clean up.

“It’s been a long weekend,” says Johnstone.