LOGAN – The Utah State University football stadium and north parking lot are locked down in preparation for Logan’ City’s Freedom Fire.
Jared Jensen, owner of ACME Fireworks, is producing the fireworks aspect of this year’s Freedom Fire for the first time, replacing longtime contributor Fireworks West. Jensen has been producing stadium shows for about five years, but in the fireworks business for over 20 years.
The Jensen family lives in Cub River, Idaho. ACME is a family business. His children are working with him, some are on the road working other venues but all of them know how to put on a show like the one they are doing at Maverik Stadium.
Freedom Fire will launch over 10,000 aerials, all synchronized to music. It is the biggest show Jensen has done to this point.
“We have seven shows going this weekend,” he said. “We have some in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Idaho.”
When he was in elementary school, Jensen would go to Wyoming with his father when he went out of town.
He bought firecrackers at the firework stands and brought them back to sell to friends at school. Today, he buys fireworks by the pallet.
ACME Fireworks has turned into a big business. Jared and his wife Karen and four of his five children have taken the business and built it into a multi-state operation.
Three of his boys – Riley, Mason and Alex – are on the road to New Mexico to put on a show at an Indian reservation. Abigail, their daughter, is handling all the administrative duties in Logan while Jared makes sure all of the wires are connected, the circuits are clear and the cannons are ready to fire.
“We will do four to five tests before the show starts,” Jensen said. “I love this stuff. It’s artistic, it’s entertaining. The ‘Ooh’s’ and ‘Aah’s’ make it all worthwhile.”
Besides executing stadium shows, Jensen is a fireworks retailer. What started out as a single fireworks trailer on State Street in Preston has grown to 19 tents in three states.
The ACME brand came from watching the Road Runner cartoons, Jensen explained. Whenever there was fireworks scene, ACME was the name on it.
He has a crew of about 10 people, some are electrical contractors and others learned on the job and got certified to work with fireworks.
Ron Anderson, from Idaho Falls, Idaho, has been with Jensen for five years. He considers himself lucky to be working for Jared.
“Working on this show is fabulous,” Anderson said. “When I was young, I said to myself ‘how do I get to do that?’ Now, I say to myself ‘how did I get here?’ I’m so lucky.”
Gates to this year’s celebration open at 7 p.m. The stadium show and concert begins at 8 p.m.
The pyrotechnics begin at dark and two days-worth of work and months of planning will go up in smoke in minutes.
It was an amazing fireworks show. Thank you!
Why aren’t we using our local fireworks company owned by The Burns Family?
I didn’t like the sound track. Go back to fireworks west. Why the change? Support our own businesses here in cache valley!
Very disappointed in the sound track for the fireworks. Wanted more patriotic music to match up with the display. However I loved Charlie Jenkins and there were a lot of fireworks. We are always told to support the locals so why are we using an ID Company?
Loved Charlie Jenkins. Lots and lots of fireworks but the music tracking needed to be more patriotic to go along with the fireworks. Why are we using an ID firm when we have Fireworks West right here in the valley? Support the locals when available!