San Jose had to swiftly switch gears this Fourth of July after a serious accident at a Yolo County fireworks facility forced officials to scrap their traditional fireworks show. Instead, yesterday saw Lake Cunningham Park aglow with the city's inaugural drone show, an event that demonstrated resilience and innovation under somber circumstances. "You may have heard yesterday that due to the terrible tragedy in Yolo County we had to cancel our fireworks show, but your city team pivoted quickly to find an alternative," Mayor Matt Mahan explained in a video posted on X, as reported by CBS News Bay Area.
With the fireworks supply going up in flames following the explosion, Councilman Domingo Candelas, along with other officials, scrambled to piece together a different kind of spectacle. They contracted Sky Elements for a record-seeking drone show in under a day. "We had to figure out the budget because it's more expensive, more approvals from the federal aviation administration, from local jurisdictions," Candelas said in a statement obtained by NBC Bay Area. Despite the challenges, many attendees expressed that the alternative show "was amazing."
The loss of extensive calamity at Devastating Pyrotechnics canceled the San Jose fireworks and put Independence Day celebrations across the Bay Area and Northern California in jeopardy. According to the CBS News Bay Area report, authorities are still investigating what went wrong, as seven people were unaccounted for after the tragedy. The company shared a statement on Wednesday expressing their deep sorrow, "Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community."
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