This year, Fourth of July celebrations in Silverton are going to be bigger, brighter and bolder than ever, said Gilbert Archuleta, fire chief of the Silverton-San Juan Fire & Rescue Authority.
“It’s considered the biggest firework show on the Western Slope,” he said.
“It’s going to run us about $31,000. The big thing I hope people take from it is that we’re so very fortunate we’re in America, and thank all the people in the armed forces,” Archuleta said.
“Second, I hope that when we get done, people will feel like it’s one of the best shows there is. Before, people from Florida and California have said it’s comparable to the fireworks show at Disney World.”
This year’s show is dedicated to Kim Demmare, a Silverton resident who has undergone nine surgeries in the last year after being struck by a shell at last year’s fireworks show, and he is still being treated for a head injury, Archuleta said.
“Kim will be there,” Archuleta said.
According to the Silverton Standard & Miner, two Air Force F-16s will fly over Silverton on the morning of the Fourth of July, coming in from the south between 11 and 11:10 a.m., right when the parade starts.
At night, the fire department plans to blast 1,200 individual shots, including 15 12-inch shells, 10 10-inch shells, one 16-inch shell and 28 finale boxes.
“That should give us a total of approximately 2,900 shots that will go off,” Archuleta said. “It’s going to be larger than any of the other shows we’ve done.”
In an attempt to prevent anyone from getting injured this year, all the shots will be pre-loaded, with 1,200 mortars, Archuleta said.
He expects the show to take no longer than 33 minutes; it will start at 9:30 p.m., after a full day of activities. The celebration will start with the Blue Ribbon Fun Run at 7:30 a.m.
“It will be spectacular, with stuff in the air all the time,” he said.
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