What’s more American than fireworks? 

Lots of things, I would argue, including the golden retriever puppy at home with his tail between his legs as my neighbors shot off their fireworks. Despite the poor pup’s reluctance, our very noisy neighborhood around the Fourth of July got my family talking about fireworks accidents over the years, and my brother, who recently visited Aspen, Colo., told us about the city’s plan to avoid fire risks associated with Independence Day shows. 

Aspen is one of our Western cities well-versed in wildfire risks during summer droughts. After a low snow year in the winter of 2017-2018, the city started planning for a new drone show with 50 drones timed to music, inspired by the 2018 Winter Olympics, reports the New York Times. It’s a win-win: while other Colorado cities are cancelling annual fireworks showcases, Aspen and a few other cities across the U.S. are mitigating risks while still hosting a pretty cool show. 

I couldn’t find a video (yet) claiming to be Aspen’s show specifically, but if you’re interested, USA Today has video of a show from the Travis Air Force Base in California, https://usat.ly/2tTDdvu.

Meanwhile, we better start conditioning the pup at our house to stop chasing the friendly neighborhood drone.