Jarkko Hyytiäinen, a pyrotechnician from Pietarsaari, is well versed on safety requirements. He says that people are well out of any danger zone that could be created by fiery flying objects.
“I have never come across such tight safety regulations,” he claims. “Part of the reason is that people will be coming so close. The foot of the steps down from the Lutheran Cathedral is 20 metres from the security barrier. The bigger fireworks will be launched from further away.”
Normal white paint, it ain't
It was made clear at the outset that fireworks must not endanger either the Senate Square or surrounding buildings and, in particular, the cathedral itself must not suffer any damage from the light fantastic.
“We were told from the start that the outside of the Lutheran Church looks like it’s painted with white paint, but that’s not what it is. Such valuable paint can’t be bought at the hardware store, as it’s mixed, for example, with eggs. Apparently, it’s appropriate not to mess it up,” Hyytiäinen says with a smirk.
The pyrotechnical entrepreneur did not disclose details on the 7 minutes and 42 seconds of skyblazing planned for the evening, except to say that this time security organisers have completely banned so-called large star-bombs.
The big event has taken hundreds of hours of preparation, with music setting the pace for the fireworks display.
Wind a crucial factor
The evening’s explosions have been simulated on a computer in advance, but Hyytiäinen regrets that the programme doesn’t allow planners to factor in wind conditions.
“This evening promises a stiff sea breeze, which means that it’s coming from the sea and, specifically, that it will blow past the church. There’s no general trick for carrying out a fireworks display,” says the explosives specialist, who has been organising such displays for around ten years.
“Launching spots may have to be shifted and we have to check that damage isn’t being done,” Hyytiäinen adds.
Naturally, professional worries centre on safety, but the wind can also play chilly havoc with the spectacle. A gentle breeze of 15 metres per second is enough to complicate the trajectory of the rockets.
"In terms of safety the firworks will be under control. They won’t be going just anywhere. I myself might notice some visual distortion,” says Hyytiäinen.