SLATINGTON, Pa. — The Fourth of July usually is the best time of year for Chris Hopkins to work in the fireworks industry.
As the creative director and co-owner of Slatington-based Celebration Fireworks, Hopkins was in a field Monday afternoon setting up for a holiday display.
But he also was fielding calls about the other aspect of his business — one that’s booming more than a sky full of pyrotechnics.
- Chris Hopkins is the creative director of Celebration Fireworks and a co-owner of Star Flight Drone Shows
- He believes drones are the next big thing, but doesn't want to see them totally replace fireworks
- Instead, Hopkins' vision is to create a "different experience people have never seen before," combining fireworks, laser lights and drones in one show
“I do believe drones are the next big thing,” Hopkins said, referring to the unmanned aircraft systems being used to create magical, synchronized aerial formations in the sky.
More people are clamoring for the drone shows, which are quieter and safer than fireworks, and Hopkins has the ability to deliver. He’s also a co-owner of Star Flight Drone Shows, based out of the same location as Celebration Fireworks.
“We want to bring these [drones] to folks and have them at their events and just do great things,” Hopkins said.
“I do believe that, and that they themselves — as far as venues, neighborhoods and regulation go — they are much more accessible than fireworks.”
Push for a change
Hopkins' assessment comes as this Fourth of July marks the commonwealth’s first since a new law passed that restricts the use of consumer fireworks.
While plenty of displays still are scheduled in the Lehigh Valley, there’s been a recent push to consider more environmentally friendly, safer options.
It’s a push of which Hopkins said he's well aware.
"There's a whole lot more hoops to jump through to do fireworks, and then you have to be mindful of neighbors."Chris Hopkins of Celebration Fireworks
“If I'm going to do a fireworks show, I have to have local permits, I have to have local fire company coverage," he said. "Depending on where we're doing and what state we're doing them, we may have to have a state license."
"There's a whole lot more hoops to jump through to do fireworks, and then you have to be mindful of neighbors."
That's because what attracts some people to the shows — the booming sounds, specifically — also are a drawback to others.
“They are so visceral in nature," Hopkins said. "The explosions, the lights, sometimes the smell. Virtually all of your senses are affected by fireworks. So that's something we have to be worried about.”
What fireworks, wildfire smoke have in common
Fireworks, especially those set off without the supervision of trained professionals, can cause injury and death.
More than 10,000 people were treated in emergency rooms and 11 people died from fireworks-related injuries last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2022 Fireworks Annual Report, showing why fireworks should be left to the pros.
Of the injuries, 38% were burns, with the hands and fingers among the most injured body parts, according to the report.
But the health impacts, to both residents and the environment, of fireworks are not limited to burns.
When ignited, fireworks put off similar pollutants to what the Lehigh Valley has experienced this summer when smoke blew into the region from Canadian wildfires, first at the start of June, then again last week.
Experts say residents can expect more smoke throughout the summer.
Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
It’s a type of air pollution that can cause serious health problems.
Because the particles are so small, they can easily be inhaled into residents’ lungs, making it hard to breathe. The smaller the particle, the deeper it can travel into the lungs and bloodstream.
Fireworks, like wildfire smoke, cause extensive air pollution in a short time. A 2021 study found measures of particle concentration increased by up to 600% after a Fourth of July fireworks display in downtown Minneapolis compared with the evening prior.
Fireworks also are a catalyst for wildfires, state officials warned residents ahead of the holiday. So far this year, there have been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide, compared with 1,036 in all of 2022.
“We have seen consistent elevated risks for wildfires this year, forcing our volunteer and wildland firefighters to suppress an unprecedented number of blazes this year,” state DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn said.
“With that in mind, we ask that the public take all necessary precautions to protect the commonwealth’s lands for the upcoming holiday as we continue to see dry conditions that make fireworks and other fire risks more likely to create wildfires.”
A pivot, a plan
Hopkins said he sees municipalities shifting gears and using drones in place of fireworks, but those decisions still give him pause.
“People talk about, ‘Are drones going to replace fireworks?’ I think not. I hope not," he said. "I think they're very different experiences.
"And for me, as the guy whose job it is to visualize music through fireworks, I’m pretty picky about what this sound looks like, right?’”
"Are drones going to replace fireworks? I think not. I hope not. I think they're very different experiences."Chris Hopkins, who works for Celebration Fireworks and Star Flight Drone Shows
Hopkins said fireworks can amplify the emotions and the energy in a song appropriately, but sometimes those concussive booms can get in the way of other types of music.
“For me, personally, I don’t think fireworks work well with those sounds," he said. "And so synthesizers are really perfect for lasers. And so that’s when we bring lasers in.”
Hopkins said all those elements — the fireworks, lasers and drones — have pushed him toward a new goal: creating the “next form of entertainment” by combining all three.
“We’re still kind of new to the drones, but I think by the fall we’ve targeted a couple of shows that we’re going to try and combine all of these elements together and hopefully not shoot the drones down," he said.
"You have to have it all work seamlessly."
'Sure, we'd love that'
Hopkins said it’s a good time to be aggressive on this side of the business and build awareness. But he said he sees plenty of room for drones and fireworks to work together.
“We do fireworks very differently," he said. "We're very much engaged in audience connection and bringing shows that people have never seen before, especially if they're connected to music.
"It's just an extraordinary art form, and very powerful … and you've really got to enjoy it [at] the moment.”
“We’re mostly starting this from zero, and so we have to build awareness. And so if sometimes we have a fireworks customer that we're doing a show for, and I call him up and say, ‘Hey, would you like a free drone show afterward?’ [And they say] 'Sure. We'd love that.’"Chris Hopkins, creative director and co-owner of Celebration Fireworks
And the drones?
“We’re mostly starting this from zero, and so we have to build awareness," he said. "And so if sometimes we have a fireworks customer that we're doing a show for, and I call him up and say, ‘Hey, would you like a free drone show afterward?’
"[And they say] 'Sure. We'd love that.’
"And people love it. And from that, we get great responses and it allows us to gain more experience and create better shows, and learn how to better connect with audiences.
"And I'm very happy with the audience connections that we've been able to secure in such a short period of time.
"I'm really excited for the future and the combination of both. And I can't wait to really sit down and start creating really different experiences that people have never seen before.”
