ELYRIA — West Park is the new home of Elyria’s Fourth of July fireworks display.

Cascade Park has hosted the display the last several years, but Elyria Police Chief Michael Medders says that growing crowds mean the park is no longer a safe place to hold the festivities.

Each year, more than 20,000 people fill the park for the fireworks, double the number that can safely occupy that space, Medders said.

With too few exits, he said he cannot allow this the fireworks to continue at Cascade knowing that people will pack the park like “sardines in a can.”

Having that many people in that location would be a recipe for disaster if there were an accident and thousands of panicked people stampeded toward the park’s exit, he said.

“Simply put, we are growing out of that venue,” he said.

“It’s a nice, scenic place, but we can’t keep packing that many people in that area and keep it safe. It’s foolish to take chances with other people’s safety.”

The move to West Park a few miles away was a joint decision among the police, fire and parks departments and the pyrotechnic firm Melrose Pyrotechnics of Kingsbury, Ind., that launches the display.

From a Fire Department standpoint, moving the show out of Cascade diminishes the likelihood of injury or accident, Assistant Chief Robert Dempsey said.

 In past years, for three days before the 30-minute show kicked off, fire officials and pyrotechnicians worked around the clock setting up hundreds of 4-inch mortar shells that shot 400 feet into the air, exploding into colorful bursts.

A 380-foot fallout field was erected to serve as the only barrier between the spectators and the explosions.

However, after last year’s crowd of more than 20,000 inched closer to the makeshift fence and a sparkler ignited a small fire in the crowd, it was obvious the display required more space, Dempsey said.

“It became clear that we had only two options: Limit the number of people in the park, or move the show to a new venue,” he said. “It was clear that moving the venue was the only logical choice to maximize spectators’ viewing experience.”

Parks and Recreation Director Frank Gustoff said the move could result in a bigger, better show.

“West Park is just a bigger space, and we’re told that it will allow for larger fireworks that shoot further into the air,” he said. “That’s what people want. They want to be wowed.”

With more space to work with, Melrose likely will shoot off 5-inch mortar shells this year that can reach up to 500 feet into the air and be seen from 5 miles away, Dempsey said.

 West Park also has more of the amenities that translate into a fun-filled day for the entire family. Its 50 acres include softball fields, basketball courts, picnic shelters, a recreation center, playground equipment, restrooms, a skate park and an outdoor swimming pool.

And with park entrances on both Lowell and Foster avenues, there is plenty of parking.

“People can walk into the park for a better, safer show,” Gustoff said. “Cascade is great but is limited because of its location.”

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

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