Pyrotecnico to launch record-breaking fireworks display in Washington for Independence Day
The family-owned firm Pyrotecnico plans to fire 850,000 fireworks over 40 minutes on the National Mall, marking the largest U.S. celebration of the holiday.
Washington, D.C. – Pyrotecnico, a family-owned pyrotechnics company, is set to launch a 40-minute fireworks display on the National Mall that will use approximately 850,000 individual shells, the largest such show in U.S. history. The company has been preparing the display since January, employing computer simulations and positioning eight barges on the Potomac River, each equipped with GPS-linked firing systems.
Rocco Vitale, president of Pyrotecnico, said the event represents the biggest production the firm has ever undertaken and recalled his early memories of Fourth of July celebrations in the city. The fireworks are scheduled to begin at 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time, following remarks by the president at 9:45 p.m., as part of the "Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks" organized by Freedom 250. Officials expect hundreds of thousands of attendees.
"Each firing location has a communication device, and it’s all set on GPS. Once the time of the show is entered into the system, it triggers at that moment," Vitale explained.
The display coincides with the United States' 250th anniversary and aims to provide a historic visual tribute to the nation’s independence.
