[EN] Fireworks cancellations lead to the «asphyxiation» of Aragonese pyrotechnics: «Shows are suspended for no reason»

When everything was ready in the University Park for the Huesca sky to be the scene of the most famous light show of all the festivals worth its salt, the City Council of Huesca announced the suspension of the fireworks of San Lorenzo 2026. The capital of Huesca thus became the latest to join a long list of Aragonese towns that have taken the decision to cancel their pyrotechnic events.

The large volume of fireworks suspensions that is taking place during this summer has put the pyrotechnic sector in check. «The Spanish Association of Pyrotechnics (Aepiro) denounces its economic and social «asphyxiation» in the face of the veto on the use of pyrotechnics outside the areas of forest influence that are being applied by regional and local administrations in Andalusia, Aragon, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura,» reads the latest statement from Aepiro.

Thus, Aragon is among the communities whose pyrotechnic sector is being one of the most affected at the national level. «These cancellations are having a very severe impact on the smaller pyrotechnics companies,» explains Miguel Pérez, general director of Pirotecnia Zaragozana, one of the most powerful companies in this sector in the community.

A BUSINESS FABRIC IN DANGER

Despite the fact that Pirotecnia Zaragozana is being able to remain stable, Miguel Pérez cannot help but put himself in the place of several of his fellow guilds, for whom it is being «very hard weeks». «When you work locally, cancellations do a lot of damage. There is a network of companies where family members work and only 3 or 4 other workers for whom most of the turnover occurs during these months. This is a bucket of cold water,» he says.

Pirotecnia Zaragozana has been able to alleviate the effects by being an entity that works at a national level programming events in other cities in Spain, but even so, the entity has noticed the cancellations. «This weekend we have «shot» in Gijón one of the biggest shows in Spain and there has been no problem. But in Aragon we have had several cancellations of shows, some rightly and others wrongly», says Pérez.

THE REASONS FOR THE CANCELLATIONS, IN DOUBT

The reasons given in many cases for carrying out these cancellations have also been the subject of debate within the pyrotechnic sector. «The certainty, encouraged by the political class, that pyrotechnics is a relevant cause of forest fires is permeating public opinion,» says Nicolás Magán, spokesman for Aeipo. The truth is that, according to the entity, the reality is very different: the explosive shows burned only 3.9 hectares in Aragon between 2015 and 2023, 0.011% of the area burned in that period.

But this year the pyrotechnic sector is facing another reason that leads the municipalities to cancel the fireworks: solidarity with the fires. «The issue is that it is a partial solidarity. We do not understand that only pyrotechnic events are suspended while all the parties, verbenas and brass bands continue to be held,» says Magán.