Lighting up the sky
Jeff Matthews and his crew started pulling wires to the firework launchers while 3 Doors Down performed.
The crew—five men from Melrose South Pyrotechnics—hook up with wires to the electric launchers, then sit back and enjoy the rest of show.
“We can’t load any live shells until all the people are cleared out,” said Jeff Matthews, promoter of the crew.
Melrose South Pyrotechnics sets up and runs all the fireworks and pyrotechnic effects for the Sprint All-Star Race. For the festivities tonight, the crew will shooting off fireworks for the National Anthem, player introductions, the start of the race and the checkered flag.
‘We do events all up and down the East Coast,” Matthews said. He’s a 20-year veteran that has been setting up pyrotechnic shows all over the country. He said the summer season is really a busy time of the year, but the demand for fireworks keeps getting earlier and earlier in the year.
“We so spring festivals and baseball games—it’s not just Fourth of July anymore,” Matthews said. “We’ll shoot right through October.”
And from then, he’ll start planning for next year.
“We’ll start getting contracts for next year—next Fourth of July—in November and December,” Matthews said.
As the crow starts walking away, the crew pulls out the live ammo. Per safety regulations, speedway security keeps a 70-foot perimeter around the launching site. Safety is always on the mind, Matthews said. They keep large fire extinguishers on hand, just in case a shell doesn’t fly high enough and “stars” float back down before snuffing off.
Check out how fireworks are shot off at Melrose’s Web site
- Ben McNeely