Ground Zero?

Believe it or not I have no idea where we're going to blast off on July 1. Last year I had the PERFECT spot. However, being on federal land, I was asked by security guards attracted to the scene if I had permission. Er, no. Sorry guys. Thankfully they waited to ask when the show was done (and even complimented on its' quality). So this year I asked permission and was roundly shot down. No surprise at all, govvies are risk-averse. Definitely a case of 'better beg forgiveness than ask permission', but now that I've asked, they'll be waiting for me. The perfect spot it is no longer.

Stating the obvious, leave must be obtained for a show on private land!

When selecting a site, safety is paramount. There should be no obstacles, overhead or otherwise, within a 100' radius of the blasting zone (i.e. trees, hydro lines etc). I say this because the wind direction and speed cannot be predicted in advance, and the additional space may be needed as a result. The audience should be just further than the height of the highest firework, for obvious reasons. I won't get in to the depths of fireworks safety here, this information is found on any fireworks retailer's website, and I'll comment on safety as it is relevant in future posts. 

Of descending order of importance to my show is:

1. 100' clear radius from blast area. Sounds obvious, but I know someone that did a show in their 30 x 40 back yard - so it isn't! I've started out using Google Earth looking at spots close to home. It has a 'ruler' feature allowing for some rough dimensioning. I'm now avoiding federal land, though city parks, schoolyards and soccer fields are fair game.  I'll use a laser measuring device for final site survey and blast area selection.
2. Proximity to home. We usually host a party and a barbecue prior to the display, having everyone pack up into cars to the site kinda sucks. Walking distance is better.
3. Dark backdrop. Given the whole point of a fireworks display is to keep the attention of the audience, who wants distractions behind it? A busy highway, other fireworks shows, noise, or lit-up buildings may serve to detract from what I'm working hard to create. The video won't look good either.
4. Vehicle accessibility. Regardless of proximity to home, the racks and kit need to be hauled to the blasting area and back. Backing my pickup right to ground zero would be ideal, a 100-foot walk ok, even. A 1/2-k trek through bush not so much.

So for now all I have is a secondary site which meets criteria 1, 3 & 4 above. The need to drive is a drag, but I'll keep looking. Stay tuned.