Private fireworks show to be displayed on the mouth of Commencement Bay on Saturday

A private fireworks show will send sparks of light over Commencement Bay in Tacoma on Saturday.

The event is anticipated to begin around 9 p.m. at the mouth of Commencement Bay, halfway between Ruston and Browns Point. The planned show will last for about 20 minutes, Tacoma Fire Department's spokeswoman Chelsea Shepherd told The News Tribune.

A private fireworks company is going to load the barge with the fireworks before it goes into the water between 6 and 9 p.m.. The fire department will do a safety check before the barge goes into the water, she said.

The fire department does not anticipate any safety issues because the barge will be in the water and there are no houses nearby that could get struck.

After the fireworks show is over, a 10 minute cool down is required before the barge goes back to shore, Shepherd said.

Even though the show is a private event, it will still be visible for anyone else nearby to see.

"If you live by the water around Commencement Bay, you can see it," Shepherd said.

A temporary safety zone is being established by the Coast Guard from 8 p.m. through 10 p.m. specifically for the show.

"The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with a marine event involving a fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector Puget Sound," according to the Coast Guard.

It is not known who is putting on the private event. Shepherd said permitted private fireworks displays have happened in the past in Tacoma.