Behind the scenes: How Aurora puts on a massive fireworks show

AURORA, Colo. ( KDVR ) — The lawn outside of the Aurora Municipal Center was filled with people enjoying company, food and fireworks on Thursday. Aurora’s fireworks show is one of the biggest in the state because they use a team of professional pyrotechnics who begin their work several days in advance.

“Tuesday, about noon, we got here and set everything up — the tubes, the racks, all that on the ground,” said Jerry Jones, lead pyrotechnic operator with Zambelli Fireworks .

The tubes, wired to fire electrically with the hit of a button, each hold a part of the magnificent light display you see once the sun sets.

When the night begins, it’s all hands on deck.

“My son and I will be down in the general area around here,” Jones said, gesturing to the parking lot. “We’ve been doing it for years; we know what to watch for and everything as far as safety. We don’t want something going off that blew apart or something. And if that happens, we have to be able to get communication up to the shooter. The shooter is not listening for us or anything. He’s looking at the times he’s got to shoot at.”

The shooter is above the action, carefully monitoring the timing and firing of the fireworks.

With all that going on, crews are also monitoring the area. On Thursday, Zambelli Fireworks set up in Bicentennial Park, which is a few miles west of the Aurora Municipal Center. Law enforcement roped the park off to keep people from getting too close.

“We have to have people 500 feet away. If somebody was to walk in, like right now if we were loading and stuff, we’d have to stop. We cannot continue doing our job,” Jones said.

Keeping themselves safe is also a top priority.

“We have a good time, we laugh and everything else, but when it comes down to the safety aspect of it, we take it very seriously,” Jones said.

It’s difficult work, but it’s a work of love. At the end of the day, Jones said that when they fire off the grand finale it’s worth every ounce of labor they put into the show.

“The best thing we can hear is after we get done, this whole area over here will be filled with people on the other side of the street and all we can hear the screams,” Jones said. “The best feeling in the world is when the people go nuts.”

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