SVFD lights up the sky

Sidney Volunteer Fire Department set the sky aglow Sunday evening, for Sidney's annual fireworks display.

"We have been doing a show for more the 40 years," said Fire Chief Keith Stone.

Crowds were wowed for about thirty minutes Sunday evening, however, there is a lot more time that goes into preparing the dazzling display.

"We order the fireworks in April, when they arrive we store them to ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) standards," Stone said. "The entire process takes about fifteen hours."

Just before dusk, firefighters gathered to the South of Sidney's soccer field to set up the array of fireworks purchased for show.

"It takes a minimum of thirteen volunteers to set-up for the show," Stone said, "we had about fifteen guys."

Grounds around where the fireworks were set off was first the site of a control burn Saturday, said Stone. This assists the firemen in controlling any ground fires that may be caused by the fireworks.

Holes are dug into the ground to secure steel mortars, said Stone.

"We dig the holes for the mortars in case they blow up, so there is no shrapnel."

Firework shells are placed in the mortars, with their fuses wound together. This allows the firemen to set off a line of multiple fireworks by lighting one fuse.

"We can't shoot anything over six inches without electrical fuses," Stone said, "we have three, four, five and six inch shells."

Just before lighting the first firework, firefighters put on their protective fire suits. Fire Chief Keith Stone said they purchased about 300 fireworks from a company out of Oklahoma.

"This years display costed $12,000," said Stone.

There were a few hiccups while lighting the fireworks off, Stone said, but for the most part the show went smoothly.

"There were a few shells that went off inside the tubes, and one firework came out and went off on the ground" Stone said.

Sidney's firework show is held on July 3, so the firefighters can spend the fourth with their families.