Rain, ‘technical difficulties’ shorten Raleigh’s July 4th fireworks display
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What should I know? A city-sponsored fireworks display that brought 22,000 to Dix Park was cut short.
What should I share with family and friends? The show will not be rescheduled, the city announced.
Rain, “technical difficulties” and errors shortened Raleigh’s July 4th fireworks display at Dix Park on Thursday, and city officials say it will not be rescheduled.
After a blistering hot day, rain started falling about 15 minutes before the scheduled 9:30 p.m. fireworks show that had drawn an estimated 22,000 people to the park. People started to pack up and leave, and a DJ announced there was lightning in the area.
But when the rain subsided and lightning was no longer a threat, the city decided to go ahead with the fireworks, even as people were heading to their cars.
The fireworks began but ended about six minutes later, sooner than anyone expected.
“The weather changed rapidly as the time for fireworks approached, and the City was evaluating the overall safety of the event,” city spokesperson Julia Milstead said in an email statement Friday. “We decided to pause the show due to weather concerns, rather than cancel the show and end the festivities for all at the park and viewing audience at their homes.”
The city could have sent a text message about the pause to attendees who had signed up for weather and other event-related information, but it didn’t, according to the statement.
”While the show was paused, an announcement was made in error from the stage that the fireworks would not happen and that the crowd should leave,” according to the statement. “That was not a decision made or authorized by the City. At the discretion of our media partner, the public broadcast of the show was ended due to lightning.”
The city partnered with ABC11-WTVD-TV to broadcast the fireworks.
DJ Rickey Smith, performing on the main stage, told ABC11 that a member of the stage production management team told him to clear the stage because of the lightning, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner.
“When I know my system is going to get shut off I have about 10 seconds to decide what do I say, and that’s the hard part. So, I reiterated what was told to me. It was you have to evacuate the area in a calm, orderly fashion,” Smith said.
The fireworks vendor, Pyrotecnico, “experienced a malfunction a few minutes after the show began.”
“Because of that and other safety factors, the (State Fire Marshal’s Office) ended the show earlier than scheduled,” according to the statement. “This and all decisions during an event are always made with public safety first.”
It cost the city $60,000 for the fireworks, which were meant to last a half-hour. There is nothing in the city’s contract with the vendor about payment for a partial show, Milstead said. The city has used this vendor the last three years.
“The City’s Fourth of July Fireworks show was not the grand display that we planned,” the city said in a statement late Thursday. “We initially had a rain delay and threat of lightning, and then technical difficulties shortened the show.”
“We want to thank the approximately 22,000 people who came out for the celebration,” according to the statement. “The diverse crowd of all ages and backgrounds kept a fun and joyful vibe throughout the evening. With the extra safety measures for heat and everyone’s caution, we were still able to have an enjoyable event prior to the firework show with no major incidents. We are glad that so many could celebrate America’s independence safely as a community.”
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