Let's look at some odds. Three out of five. Seems like a sure thing. The sad thing is that these are odds on the number of times there has been a fire on "A" Mountain on the Fourth of July. As a member of the Tucson Fire Department said to me, "The people come just as much for the fires as the fireworks." And Tucsonans do not leave disappointed, because in the past five years, there have been three fires. Great odds! But it gets even better. Because of the 150 fireworks displays that ar e shot by Scottsdale-based Fireworks Productions, "A" Mountain is the only one that typically goes up in flames.

With these kinds of statistics, it makes me wonder why the fireworks display continues to be shot off of "A" Mountain. Could it be because "A" Mountain is in an economically depressed area? Who cares if a bunch of houses in a lower class socioeconomic are a go up in flames. To tell the truth, it is probably a desirable situation for the city. Think about it - the city of Tucson gets to amuse and entertain the whole town, and gets valuable land to reclaim and rebuild.

The three organizations responsible for the fireworks display are Fireworks Productions International Inc., the Tucson Convention Center, and the Hazardous Materials Division of the Tucson Fire Department. Although all three have a different perspective on the situation and the fires' causes, they all agree there is no underlying racism in regards to the "A" Mountain fires.

The person who got the best laugh out of the situation was from Fireworks Productions. Before starting to write, I wanted to find out the number of fires. When I asked how many fires there had been at "A" Mountain, the woman started to laugh at the questi on. The woman was Ms. Pamela Stout Hunt, president of Fireworks Productions. Immediately, though, she told me that the fires were always controlled and that there never was a danger. Alas, the "A" Mountain fire is the only fire that does occur. I made it a point to ask about the Hyatt Hotel at Gainey Ranch and if the company did that shoot also; in fact, Fireworks Productions does do the shoot for the hotel, and there has never been a fire on the golf course. That's something to think about when Tucson wa tches "A" Mountain go up in flames again.

I was referred to Clarence Boykins by Fireworks Productions. Mr. Boykins is the assistant director for sales and marketing for the Tucson Convention Center. He is also the guy in charge of the Fourth of July festivities, including the fireworks display. W hen I called him, repeatedly, to ask about the "A" Mountain situation, it took a "it's in his best interest to return my call" type message to get a response. Boy, did he return that call quickly. When I asked Mr. Boykins if the fireworks are shot off of "A" Mountain and allowed to burn because of the surrounding area's socioeconomic standing, he was genuinely shocked and surprised that anyone would believe such a thing. He stated that there were too many special houses in the area and the fires have alwa ys been controlled. Even though there had been "three fires in four years, there hasn't been a dangerous situation." In response to why the fireworks were shot off from "A" Mountain, the answer was because there was nowhere else to shoot them from. And in answer to whether there would still be a shoot this year because of the drought, he said, "Yes. And you can take that to the bank."

Well, that's news to Inspector Fred Contreras. According to the representative from the Hazardous Materials division, the fireworks used to be shot off from Arizona Stadium, and the fireworks display will be canceled if there is high wind. Personally, I'd rather take that information to the bank. However, Inspector Contreras did admit that in past years, political pressures forced the Fire Department to allow the fireworks to go off. And, of course, there were fires. But, Inspector Contreras assured me, t his year would be different. Instead of the 'Grande Finale' being shot off the mountain, it will be shot from the parking lot. Also, unlike years past, "A" Mountain is going to watered before the fireworks shoot. The inspector went on to tell me that the reason "A" Mountain is used is because it is the highest point, with visibility for miles; of course, politics with TCC also come into play. But, the fires have always been isolated, and houses have never been in danger.

Hopefully, with the precautions taken this year, there will be no fire on "A" Mountain. It seems odd that when the fireworks were at the University, a more populated area with higher concerns, there were never fires. But, that is the way it goes. Maybe th is year there will be no fire. Or is the city of Tucson hoping for an uncontrollable fire to take out the depressed areas, in order to rebuild the city into a more pleasant image? It's likely, even if it is windy, that the show will go on ... And who know s what may happen this year?

Jeremy Pepper