The Augusta fireworks this year was worse than disappointing, it was profusely and unprofessionally sloppy and dangerous, so far below the level of ordinary fireworks that I think it was at times illegal.

Twice, the ordnance ignited just as it was leaving the launching tube, many of the fireworks ignited only 100 feet in the air, and much of the fireworks ignited about 500 feet in the air. Burning particles hit the ground and sometimes landed in brief showers on the ground all around the launching tubes.

Had a federal fireworks safety inspector been on hand to witness this atrocity, I am certain the fireworks would have been shut down and the fireworks contractor’s license would have been revoked.

Furthermore, there was nothing exciting about the fireworks display; it was amateurishly dull and routine. I cannot imagine Maine not having a supervising authority to monitor these public exhibits, for this crew would have never evaded the laws of Iowa, Nevada or California like they did here in Augusta.

The state of Maine should conduct an investigation of Augusta’s fireworks display by requesting public submissions of video and cellphone recordings of this event, because a lot of people recorded it.

Libris Fidelis

Augusta