Celebrating our nation’s independence is typically a boisterous and noisy affair, The day is filled with music and marching bands, and the night is capped off with a booming fireworks display.  But this July 4th, many cities and towns are opting for a different kind of aerial light show.

In place of soaring rockets and fiery explosions, there will be quietly buzzing  drones.  In fact, hundreds of them – their movements carefully programmed and choreographed in a dazzling visual exhibition all their own.

Replacing fireworks with drones is not a new phenomenon – but the trend is clearly growing.  One stimulus, especially in the West, including California, is the persistent threat of summer wildfires.  In large fireworks displays, fiery remnants can scatter widely and sometimes land in dry bush, setting off a blaze within minutes.

Another downside of fireworks is the loud, sudden explosions, which can startle humans and animals (especially dogs) alike.  PTSD sufferers, including war veterans, often find the experience especially unsettling.  And then there’s the thick, sometimes blinding and cough-inducing smoke as well as the mountain of debris, which can require hours of clean-up work.

Some California localities like La Jolla, an affluent suburb of San Diego, say they’ve had enough. So have a growing number of towns in wildfire-prone Utah and Colorado.

Boulder, CO ‘s city council posted a notice on its Facebook page announcing the change citing environmental concerns as well as the threat of wildfires during an especially dry summer.

“The shift from traditional fireworks to drones was not an easy decision and based on a number of factors, including increased fire danger fueled by climate change,” the city’ notice read in part.

Salt Lake City, Utah is also switching from fireworks to drones.  The city’s mayor, Erin Mendenhall, said in a news release that he wants to minimize the area’s “high fire danger” and to lessen air quality problems caused by fireworks.

Probably the best argument for drone light shows is their sustainability.  Not only are environmental problems reduced, but the small vehicles can be used in one form or another continuously, from year to year.

Some traditionalists worry that a drone light show won’t be as visually dazzling as a traditional fireworks display. It may take some getting used to, but anyone who’s actually witnessed one knows it’s a special treat .

Not only can drone pixels be synchronized to simulate fireworks, but the drones can display animated images of important historical figures like George Washimngton or Benjamin Franklin and even tell stories about America’s drive toward independence.

Some larger fireworks companies are beginning to invest in drones.  A global business that was virtually non-existent a decade ago is now estimated at roughly $1 billion in value – and growing, according to Allied Market Research.

Some smaller fireworks companies are feeling the pressure to follow suit but aren’t sure that they can afford the switch.  Finding trained people to design the shows and fly the drones is a huge expense.  And they aren’t sure the market is large enough to justify developing that capability in-house.

That’s giving companies like California-based Drone Studios, which is performing this year’s July 4th show in La Jolla, a huge opening to expand into the shrinking fireworks market.

“Drones can do things traditional fireworks can’t,” Jeff Stein, the company’s owner, told CNN last week.

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