Pyrotechnics | Ever see 300,000 firecrackers lit by hand?
Don't lose your head and wear some ear protection.
I've been working professional pyrotechnics shows off and on over nearly the last decade. Some gigs are big aerial mortar shells set off electronically by quick match. Others are aerial cakes set off the same way. Then there are firecracker shows, primarily to celebrate Chinese New Year which are ignited by hand.
Watch the video for a close up view of professional pyrotechnics!
That must be dangerous you think. Well, yes and no. With proper attire you're pretty safe from minor burns and the like. There is some small danger your clothes could ignite but that would be a pretty freak accident. When this close you get constantly bombarded by pieces of firecracker many of which are still smoldering. For the most part they just bounce off you no harm done. One time a couple years back I did have a significant chunk of one firecracker land in my breast pocket after hitting my shoulder. It was hot but not any risk of setting me alight. Thank goodness!
Visitors to the temple were dressed in their finest
The firecrackers even fly off the main strings and often blow up right in your face. That's why we step back after first ignition so that it's unlikely we'll get skin burns from a close detonation. Thankfully during the entire event there are plenty of people nearby to douse you with water the moment something starts to turn South.
The real danger is to your hearing and your eyes. These things are loud when up close and the pieces could hit you in the eye. So to prevent tinnitus we wear earplugs nice and tight in the ear canal. We also don protective eye wear and even hardhats which protects probably our most flammable part. Our hair.
Decorations adorned the temple inside and out.
The Video
This is footage from one of my earliest pyrotechnic shows in 2008 which featured a whopping 300,000 firecrackers hung either side of the entrance to LA Chinatown's Fukienese Association Temple.
The aftermath shows the debris which is considered bad luck to sweep away. Whew! Thought we'd have to clean that up. How convenient!
Gung hay fat choy indeed!
For the full original blog entry see it on my site Giors.com
Additional photo highlights from the Feb. 9th 2008 celebration.
