Drone shows have an advantage over fireworks for communities concerned over forest fires and other environmental impacts, Rick Boss, the president of Sky Elements Drone Shows, told CBS News. Compared with fireworks, he added, drone shows present significantly less risk.

“Less risk of fire, less risk of damage, less risk of injury,” he said.

Salt Lake City, Utah, kicked off the city’s Independence Day weekend with a drone show on Saturday. Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the new show was part of an effort to minimize “high fire danger” and “air quality concerns” caused by fireworks.

“As temperatures rise and fire danger increases, we must be conscientious of both our air quality and the potential for wildfires,” Mendenhall said in a press release.

Utah is currently one of the most wildfire-prone states in the country, with 800 to 1,000 wildfires occurring annually, according to the state’s Department of Public Safety.

In 2018, there were 1,327 wildfires in Utah, with estimated damages of $13.4 million, the agency said.

Colorado also faces an increased threat of wildfires in the next 30 years, according to research from the nonprofit First Street Foundation.

A report, published in 2022, found that nearly 1 million properties —or 40% of the state’s total— will have some wildfire risk through 2052.

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