Missing tanks make sparks fly

OREM — The missing propane tanks for the Stadium of Fire fireworks extravaganza have been found, but they are already causing sparks and appear to have charred a previously cordial relationship with Salt Lake's inaugural and competing Freedom Blast.

The tanks were found to be in the possession of the Freedom Blast at Rice Eccles Stadium, which is being directed by John Whittaker, the former director of America's Freedom Festival at Provo, which sponsors the Stadium of Fire event.

Whittaker, who left the Freedom Festival post after last year's production, says the mix-up was inadvertent and there was no intent to undermine the Provo event.

Whittaker said he planned to personally return the tanks on Friday and that he had already talked with the Spanish Fork Police Department, which had taken charge of the investigation since the tanks had been stored at a facility in that city.

It appears an old address and miscommunication was the root cause of the problem.

On Thursday morning, Doug Mecham, the Freedom Blast production manager, called Ace Rents to rent a forklift to load equipment stored at a Provo warehouse onto trucks for delivery to Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Although Mecham had identified himself as part of Freedom Blast, he asked the employee to look up the current address being used by the Stadium of Fire to ensure it had been updated. For more than 10 years, all Stadium of Fire bills were sent to Whittaker's home. Because Whittaker quit after last year's show, Mecham wanted to make sure the Stadium of Fire billing address had been updated.

Since Ace Rents had the correct Stadium of Fire address, Mecham went ahead and rented the forklift under the Freedom Blast account without a second thought.

The Ace employee was apparently confused by Mecham's billing questions and called the current Stadium of Fire organizers with questions.

Provo organizers became worried that other vendors might be facing similar confusion over billing details, said Taylor Macdonald, executive director of America's Freedom Festival at Provo.

Mecham said it was never his intention to have Stadium of Fire pay for anything related to the Salt Lake show.

"They totally blew this out of hand," Mecham said. "We're not trying to wreck their show, we're just trying to do our show. We're not trying to hide anything, do anything. We have our money, they have their money."

The incident involves 12 propane tanks belonging to the Stadium of Fire.