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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – This year’s Fourth of July fireworks show at ‘A’ Mountain will be the last as the city of Tucson announced Wednesday that its annual celebration will feature a drone show next year.
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Kevin Luckenbill, who has run the ‘A’ Mountain fireworks show with Fireworks Productions of Arizona since 2019, said he was upset to hear the news. As a Tucson native, he said the change feels like the end of a tradition.
“I know ‘A’ Mountain first started their fireworks in 1984, and I’ve probably seen their show every year since,” Luckenbill said. “As a child, we would come to ‘A’ Mountain, parents would bring us and join the thousands of other people that like to watch the show every year.”
Luckenbill said he understands fireworks can pose a safety risk, but noted that professional shows involve significant preparation.
“They train us to do this. It’s not just us coming out and picking up some local fireworks and, you know, putting on a display. This is very much a structured environment,” Luckenbill said.
Tucson City Council Member Paul Cunningham told 13 News the move was made for safety reasons, following past issues with the show.
The fireworks show on ‘A’ Mountain has sparked fires multiple times, including most recently in 2017, when there was a brush fire.
Tucson Fire Department’s Deputy Chief Antonio Canizales said fires being started from fireworks are common, especially in southern Arizona, where vegetation is dry, especially in the summer.
Luckenbill said he believes a drone show will not replicate the experience of the fireworks display.
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“Having seen drone shows and even assisting with a drone show, if you’re not kind of right in front of it, you may not see if it’s spelling out words, if it’s doing things like that, you’re not necessarily gonna see that,” Luckenbill said.
Nikki Reck, public information officer for the Pima Animal Care Center, said she views the switch as a positive development for animals.
“We take in hundreds of extra dogs over the holiday due to fireworks scaring them, making them run away into the streets, or they run into the streets and get hit by a car, and they end up in our care,” Reck said.
Reck said she hopes the drone show will have a different effect on pets.
“Drones, while they do make some noise, they’re quieter than fireworks, and while the images are still pretty bright and can maybe scare some pets, I think overall, fingers crossed, maybe it’ll have a different effect, and maybe it’s more of a positive one is what we’re hoping,” Reck said.
Canizales said for this year’s show, the Tucson Fire Department has crews on ‘A’ Mountain spraying down the area with water to prevent fires and will monitor the show on Saturday night.
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