Fireworks show goes on

“In that context the [City] Council felt that going ahead with a $20,000 or more fireworks display was really just a little bit beyond our reach this year,” Dennis said.

Burbank has also gone through budget constraints, with officials having requested that each department cut back between 5% and 9% of their budgets.

But the fireworks show has not yet been in doubt because it is important to the community and comes close to paying for itself because of sponsorships and ticket sales, Deputy City Manager Joy Forbes said.

“It’s around a break-even proposition,” Forbes said.

The city’s priorities could change, however, if its budget is stripped too thin, she said.

“I’m not saying we’re always going to save the fireworks show at some point in the future if budget constraints make it necessary [to cut],” she said. “But we’re able to make other cuts without having to lose the fireworks.”

Glendale does not host a fireworks show, although it has given donations to the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Assn., a nonprofit that has hosted a show in the La Crescenta area since 1989, said Jean Maluccio, secretary of the organization.

Fire safety was also a concern for local shows as a California drought has heightened fears about drier-than-usual hillside shrubbery, officials said.

But officials in both cities took precautions to prevent unwanted flames, with Burbank fire officials blanketing a hillside with fire retardant Saturday afternoon and trucks circling the venue to spray water onto surrounding vegetation.

There were no fires caused by the pyrotechnics displays in either city, officials said.

 ZAIN SHAUK covers education. He may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at zain.shauk@latimes.com.