The fireworks at last month’s Paul McCartney concert didn’t just surprise the audience.
The person in charge of fire safety at BC Place was worried enough to investigate.
The pyrotechnics were featured during the former Beatle’s performance of ‘Live and Let Die’, a song he wrote for the James Bond movie of the same name.
Turns out, they flew high enough to touch sound barrier panels suspended below the stadium’s new fabric roof.
“Looks like the fabric has slight scorches on it, but not any serious damage.”
Deputy Fire Chief Les Sziklai says the fire captain monitoring the fireworks tried to alert the crew.
“Got as quickly as he could to where the fireworks were being shot. By then, the song was over and he told them. He said, ‘Hey, you know you’re hitting the ceiling and they weren’t even aware it was hitting the ceiling.”
BC Place assistant general manager Kathy Delisser says damage from the fireworks is minimal.
A layer beneath the roof suffered some scorch marks.
“A series of panels, independent from the roof that have two functions. One is ambiance, and one is acoustics, and those have some scorch marks on them”.
She says they have a “fairly robust process in place” to approve and deal with pyro, in consultation with the Vancouver Fire Department.
She says safety was never an issue and the fibre-glass panels don’t actually catch on fire.
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