MONTHS OF PREPARATION WILL BURST INTO COLOR IN PROVO SKIES

Since ancient times in China, fireworks have dazzled and entertained adults and children around the globe, from Italy's loud noise makers to the brilliant pulsating colors from Japan.

But before the loud noise fills an arena and the pulsating colors light up the night sky, a lot of hard work and preparation goes into a fireworks display. No more is this evident then with the popular "Stadium of Fire," produced by Alan Osmond Productions in conjunction with America's Freedom Festival at Provo.When producer Alan Osmond goes to a football game at Brigham Young University's Cougar Stadium, he often isn't thinking about football. He's imagining his next fireworks show.

"I take great pains to make sure that I play a show that works well in the round so that I'm not favoring any one side," he said. His preparation for the "Stadium of Fire" continues year round, with help from Paul Austin Fireworks of Kansas.

Austin's company is the reigning Golden Jupiter winner in the Montreal-based International Fireworks Competition and has been involved with several well-known fireworks displays from coast to coast.

According to Brad Bone, program director for Paul Austin Fireworks, safety is the top concern when planning any fireworks display.

"Safety is our primary concern. We have a safety officer whose only job is to walk around and look for potential problems. He does nothing except inspect everything we do. He's with us in Cougar Stadium, and he accompanies us across the street (o the baseball fields) for the aerial displays," Bone said.

Their concern is not only for human safety, but also for preserving the facilities where the displays will take place.

The south end of the stadium that houses the set pieces is lined with foil to catch debris that falls from the fireworks. On particularly hot pieces, plywood is placed around the seats and covered in foil as an additional precaution.

Some shells are double sandbagged to ensure that no problems occur in case of misfire.

"Occasionally we'll have to replace a piece of turf, but generally the grass is in excellent condition within a week of the show. We don't dig holes, and when we need to set heavy pieces on the ground, we first water the lawn and place foam blankets under the pieces. This keeps the turf damp and keeps the grass alive."