Steamboat Fireworks
Firework Shell
In February 2020, the sky over Steamboat Springs, Colorado, filled with a fiery red explosion. The burst was a firework—but not just any firework. It was the world’s largest firework launched into the air!
Fireworks are fueled by gunpowder. When lit, the powder explodes, burning chemical pellets that release colorful sparks. The record-breaking explosive had a shell made of packing tape. It weighed 1,268 kilograms (2,797 pounds)!
The boom set a Guinness World Record. That was the dream of its designer, Tim Borden, and his team. “We spent thousands of hours for 20 seconds of excitement,” he says.