Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) – The Caldor Fire blazed across the trees last year as it raced towards the south shore of Lake Tahoe. Its flames grew to 100 feet (30 meters) in height. Cities on the north shore spotted it miles away.

Three communities along the California-Nevada border have decided to switch from traditional fireworks shows for U.S. The drone light display will replace the traditional fireworks show for Independence Day on July 4. This growing trend has overwhelmed drone businesses across America.

We talked about whether throwing lit objects in the sky at the height of the fire season was the right thing to do. Andy Chapman is president of Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau. This bureau coordinates Incline Village’s July 4th celebrations.

Some towns have decided to ban fireworks because of the drought in Western States. However, firefighters are able to safely monitor almost all fireworks displays.

Incline Village was among the California communities that switched to drones following the Caldor Fire. The Caldor Fire scorched 221,835 acres and destroyed 1,003 structures, forcing the evacuations of over 50,000 people.

The typical drone show does not feature bombs in the air, but hundreds or even thousands of small, lit, flying machines that perform maneuvers to music and form strange, shifting patterns suspended in darkness.

There are just dozens more July 4 drone shows than the expected 16,000 that will be put on by the fireworks industry.

Jeff Clarmo (Vice President of Sales for Pixis Drones) said that the company is constantly receiving inquiries and that he tells those calling him that he cannot help.

Sky Elements Drone Shows, which will be performing 20-25 shows on the Fourth of July, is a significant increase from the one they did last year. Preston Ward, chief pilot and general counsel, stated that the show would perform more than the previous year.

Matthew Quinn, the Great Lakes Drone Company’s owner, stated his company had stopped booking Fourth of July shows east of Mississippi River to redirect his business towards the West. There is more fire danger in the West.

Quinn explained that Great Lakes was asked to do only eight performances for the Fourth of July. It performed only four of the eight requested shows last year.

Drone shows will soon be commonplace. They’re expensive at the moment,” Nils Thorjussen said, who is owner of Verge Aero. Verge Aero will partner with a Mexican company in order to import drones for July 4.

Thorjussen stated that Verge Aero charges $25,000 for an average drone show. According to the fireworks trade organization, small towns can host a spectacular fireworks show for between $15,000 and $20,000. Verge Aero’s 100,000-foot fireworks display is a high price, while large cities can offer displays that cost over $1 million.

Julie Heckman is the executive director at the American Pyrotechnics Association. She said that drones are not considered to be a threat to fireworks shows, which were worth $375 million in 2019, before the outbreak of coronavirus. Drones lack the multisensory spectacle of colors and concussions as well as the smell of smoke.

Heckman stated that drones were “pretty”, but they are “kind of boring.”