Fireworks show crowd worried about weather, not safety
Many spectators at Saturday’s fireworks show at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs said a fireworks accident the previous night in Avon, Colorado, hadn’t made them nervous.
In the Avon incident, nine people suffered minor burns when a lighted fireworks container tipped over and knocked down other containers — sending fireworks shooting into the audience.
“I hadn’t heard about it,” said Brittany McClintic, who attended the Memorial Park show with her family. “But I wasn’t worried. Police and firefighters do a good job making sure we’re safe.”
Brian Keys of the Colorado Springs Fire Department said the Avon incident led local investigators to review safety guidelines for the Memorial Park show.
“Our investigators specifically checked the display racks,” Keys said. “They have to be secured so they can’t fall over or be knocked over. Our investigators checked that early and remained on-scene until the show ended.”
The main concern in memorial Park was the weather. It became cloudy, cool and breezy with occasional flashes of lightning. Some spectators left early when a light rain fell briefly.
However, the weather improved when the show began at 9 p.m.
Organizers said the weather apparently contributed to the crowd being smaller than anticipated. They said the show would have been delayed, but not canceled, if more rain had fallen.
