This Independence Day, synchronized electronics might replace the red glare of the rockets in a city near you. This Fourth of July week, Salt Lake City, Utah, and a few other American cities have decided to forgo loud fireworks displays in favor of vibrant, high-tech drone shows due to concerns about fire safety and poor air quality in arid regions.
The celebrations for Pioneer Day on July 24 will take the place of the customary fireworks, as Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced last week.
Instead, the city staged its first-ever drown show last night, which, according to the city, was a proactive effort to combat the city's high fire danger and to allay concerns about air quality.
We must be mindful of both our air quality and the possibility of wildfires as temperatures rise and the fire danger rises, Mendenhall said. We're excited to adopt new technology that will offer a safe alternative for our residents and visitors. The summer holiday shows are a mainstay for Salt Lakers.
Boulder, Colorado, was another city that decided to replace the fireworks with drones.
According to the city website, Ralphie's Independence Day Blast has been a tradition in the city every year since 1941—at least up until the COVID-19 pandemic.
The site stated: "The decision to switch from conventional fireworks to drones was not made lightly and was based on a number of factors, including increased fire danger fueled by climate change. "The show, though it will be a little different, promises to be fantastic and is in line with our Sustainability, Equity, and Resilience Framework.
Three border towns along the California-Nevada border, including Incline Village, Kings Beach, and Tahoe City, switched to drone shows for their July 4th celebrations last year.
The Caldor Fire, which scorched 221,835 acres over the course of 69 days, destroyed 1,003 structures, and evacuated 50,000 people, prompted the switch.
Drone shows use hundreds of illuminated tiny flying machines that fly in pre-programmed patterns to music and form into shapes like soaring dragons, city logos, and the American flag as opposed to shooting bombs into the sky and bursting into colorful patterns.
Officials in Ocean City, Maryland chose drone displays over fireworks for some of its weekly scheduled events in 2021. However, they have returned to fireworks displays this year.
The drone shows were a fad, according to Ocean City officials, but setting off fireworks is also less expensive than hosting a drone show every week.
The celebrations for Pioneer Day on July 24 will take the place of the customary fireworks, as Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced last week.
Instead, the city staged its first-ever drown show last night, which, according to the city, was a proactive effort to combat the city's high fire danger and to allay concerns about air quality.
We must be mindful of both our air quality and the possibility of wildfires as temperatures rise and the fire danger rises, Mendenhall said. We're excited to adopt new technology that will offer a safe alternative for our residents and visitors. The summer holiday shows are a mainstay for Salt Lakers.
Boulder, Colorado, was another city that decided to replace the fireworks with drones.
According to the city website, Ralphie's Independence Day Blast has been a tradition in the city every year since 1941—at least up until the COVID-19 pandemic.
The site stated: "The decision to switch from conventional fireworks to drones was not made lightly and was based on a number of factors, including increased fire danger fueled by climate change. "The show, though it will be a little different, promises to be fantastic and is in line with our Sustainability, Equity, and Resilience Framework.
Three border towns along the California-Nevada border, including Incline Village, Kings Beach, and Tahoe City, switched to drone shows for their July 4th celebrations last year.
The Caldor Fire, which scorched 221,835 acres over the course of 69 days, destroyed 1,003 structures, and evacuated 50,000 people, prompted the switch.
Drone shows use hundreds of illuminated tiny flying machines that fly in pre-programmed patterns to music and form into shapes like soaring dragons, city logos, and the American flag as opposed to shooting bombs into the sky and bursting into colorful patterns.
Officials in Ocean City, Maryland chose drone displays over fireworks for some of its weekly scheduled events in 2021. However, they have returned to fireworks displays this year.
The drone shows were a fad, according to Ocean City officials, but setting off fireworks is also less expensive than hosting a drone show every week.
