A surprise thunderstorm caught the City of Glendale off guard last night during its fireworks show.
Video shows lightning sharing the sky with the firework spectacle and that got some wondering -- how do communities that host firework shows know when to cancel?
The City of Glendale said they consult with the fireworks company, police and fire departments to make that decision.
In the case of Monday’s fireworks show, Chuck Line with the city said officials felt comfortable with the decision they made to keep the show running.
“I think we made the right decision,” Line said. “Most of [the lightning] was 4 to 5 miles away.”
He said they had the choice to postpone the 17-minute show, and spectators had a choice to sit and watch it.
“They get to make that choice,” he said. “Do they wait out during those 17 minutes or choose to seek shelter? We can’t make that decision for everyone.”
He said that weather is a big factor when deciding whether to cancel a show or not, but lightning doesn’t top that list -- wind does.
With strong winds, they can’t control where the debris falls and that can be dangerous.
