<\/p>\n
Some 500 tubes loaded with pyrotechnics are set to explode over Cortez tonight.<\/p>\n
The fireworks show is slated for 9 p.m. Friday at Parque de Vida.<\/p>\n
The man behind the city\u2019s annual Fourth of July fireworks show, Keenan Ertel had beads of sweat on his brow Tuesday morning as he oversaw a crew of about six volunteers who were wiring up electronic matches on nearly 500 aerial displays.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a cable that comes off the end of the shells into a junction box,\u201d Ertel said from his ranch north of town. \u201cThat\u2019s wired to a main panel where I have 20 different stations to monitor rails that each have 15 queues. Then you start down each row of toggle switches to fire the shells.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when the magic happens. Standing 50 feet away, Ertel will send red, white and blue explosions upward of 500 feet into the night air: all to honor the nation\u2019s 238th birthday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe show will last about 45 minutes,\u201d Ertel said.<\/p>\n
Asked how much time he exhausted in preparation for the show, Ertel chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you,\u201d he said. \u201cA bunch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably 65 to 70 hours just by myself,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Ertel quickly interrupted the interview to provide his crew, standing atop a ranch trailer loaded with hundreds of shells, with some last minute wiring instructions.<\/p>\n
\u201cLay down a rail there, and put 15 in that,\u201d Ertel said, pointing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter which one goes in which side?\u201d a pyrotechnic assistant asked about the wiring.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Ertel replied. \u201cJust push down the tab, so you know you got a tight lock on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got to fold over the end of the wire,\u201d another volunteer reminded the crew.<\/p>\n
Ertel then walked into a nearby barn and sat on the edge of another trailer. It was covered with a tarp, and loaded with hundreds of other shells.<\/p>\n
The 6-inch shells have quarter-size \u201cstars,\u201d black powder wrapped inside rice-hulled paper, and the stars inside the 3-inch shells are about the size of a dime.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 6-inch shell will go up approximately 550 feet into the air,\u201d Ertel explained. \u201cA 3-inch shell will go up about 280.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re firing, you\u2019ll set off a few 3-inchers, then maybe a 5 and a 6,\u201d he added. \u201cThen you come back down and do some fours and a five. You stage them, so they break off at different altitudes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ertel said he was not equipped to choreograph his fireworks shows to music. He said that capability was left to \u201cmore professional\u201d pyrotechnic displays with computerized firing sequence software.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey do stuff that I can only dream up,\u201d Ertel said.<\/p>\n
A member of the Western Pyrotechnic Association, Ertel is licensed with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; National Fire Protection Association and Colorado Department of Public Safety. He\u2019s also bonded with $5 million in liability coverage.<\/p>\n
Suffering a few minor burns and singed hair in the past, Ertel said the most dangerous aspect of a pyrotechnic show would be what\u2019s called a \u201cflower pot,\u201d when the shell explodes inside a waist-high firing tube. The second most dangerous scenario is what\u2019s referred to as a \u201clow break,\u201d when the star doesn\u2019t reach proper altitude and explodes close to the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we need such a large fallout area,\u201d Ertel said.<\/p>\n
Ertel also reminded pet owners who live near the park to consider keeping their pets inside during the fireworks show.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople need to keep their pets protected,\u201d Ertel cautioned. \u201cPets can get spooked and run off.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Montezuma County Commissioner, Ertel and his colleagues instituted a fire ban on Monday, which prohibits the use of fireworks because of the area\u2019s drought conditions. City fire crews will be on hand tonight to ensure public safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring a blanket or a chair,\u201d Ertel said. \u201cGet comfortable and enjoy the show.\u201d<\/p>\n