Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TAYLORSVILLE — We look forward to seeing them every year: There's just something mesmerizing about the sites and the sounds of a professional fireworks display.
Chuck Johnson, owner of Vortex Fireworks, started preparing for his most recent show nearly a year ago when he put in his order for the various exploding shells from China. He does about 80 shows a year and says right now is crunch time.
"The end of June through the end of July is equivalent to what the retailers have between Thanksgiving and Christmas," Johnson said.
The end of June through the end of July is equivalent to what the retailers have between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
–Chuck Johnson, Vortex Fireworks
KSL News met up with Johnson and his crew as they were setting up a show in Taylorsville — one of several city displays Vortex will do this month. It takes most of the day load and wire up 450 3-inch shells into their launchers, but it's a labor of love for Johnson.
"I started out as one of those kids that crushed up the Sparklers rather than light them on fire," he said. "And one thing led to another, and before you know it, it's a passion; and I was driven.
To get a firework from launcher to sky basically takes an electric charge and black powder, but where do the colors come from? Johsnon says it's simple: different elements produce different colors.
"You go to yellow, and that's sodium," he explained. "Orange is calcium."
And there's more: strontium will give you a red firework, barium will produce green, and copper with give you a blast of blue.
But what about all that sparkley stuff? "The glitters are different sizes and temperature burns of magnesium, titanium and aluminum," Johnson explained.
Related:
Local happenings does Fireworks Shows
Just because you're not out in your driveway shooting off bottle rockets this year doesn't mean you can't experience fireworks at its finest this Wednesday. Here's a list of several ways you can safely view a spectacular, professionally choreographed fireworks show on the 4th of July.He says variety is key for a good show. Despite the wires, computers and electronic firing systems, Johnson admits not every shell will fire; or sometimes two will go up at the same time.
"No matter what anybody else will tell you, there's a bit of ‘willy-nilly' to it. That's what makes it fun," Johnson said.
No doubt, the finale of a fireworks show is everyone's favorite, when the big stuff seems to go off all at once in a deafening crescendo. And don't think for a moment that Johnson and his employees don't hear — and appreciate — the audience's cheer when the final shell explodes.
"Then you hear the roar of that crowd, for about 10 or 15 seconds," Johnson mused. "You're a rock star for about for about 14 hours worth of work."
Of course, professional fireworks companies like Vortex work closely with the local fire departments to make sure that they're in compliance with all safety issues.
