They are relatively simple contraptions, consisting of a powder charge inside a floor-mounted tube or pipe about an inch in diameter. The charge is usually ignited by an electric spark that is triggered by remote control, shooting a tower of flame into the air. A metal additive in the charge, such as titanium or tungsten, gives the flame a sparkling effect.
``It should be very safe if it is done right,'' said Dorothy Drewes, an editor at American Fireworks News, a trade publication based in Dingmans Ferry, Pa.
When properly operated, the height and duration of the flame produced by any pyrotechnic device can be precisely calibrated, Drewes said.
The club where the fire occurred had recently passed a fire inspection, but didn't have a city permit for pyrotechnics, said West Warwick, R.I., Fire Chief Charles Hall.
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