Spectacular pyrotechnic festival lightens up Paterna streets

W/S Pyrotechnic festival in Paterna
M/S Pyrotechnic festival
W/S Pyrotechnic festival
M/S People with fireworks
W/S Pyrotechnic festival
M/S People with fireworks
W/S Pyrotechnic festival
M/S Pyrotechnic festival
M/S People watching fireworks
W/S Pyrotechnic festival
M/S Fire and fireworks
M/S Person filming fireworks
M/S Pyrotechnic festival
W/S Pyrotechnic festival
W/S Street
SOT, Juan Antonio Sagredo, Paterna Mayor (Spanish): "The truth is that it is our most symbolic party, it's older than a century. We will throw here, in a little while, a ton of gunpowder in just over 20 minutes, in the Calle Mayor which is about 120 meters long. To give you an idea, here you throw 5 times more [rockets, fireworks and firecrackers] than you throw in a Mascleta (pyrotechnic event) in the Fallas, in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia."
M/S People open track with firecrackers and fireworks
M/S People unloading track
M/S Person opening boxes
SOT, Cesar Andreu, President of Federation of Interpenas de Paterna (Spanish): "A 'Corda' is really a roll of rockets that go loose. There are different types of Corda, specifically ours are in a box, and what we do is take out boxes, throw them and turn them on and try to make them last between 20 and 22 minutes. "
M/S Andreu and Armando 'Coeter'
SOT, Cesar Andreu, President of Federation of Interpenas de Paterna (Spanish): "The important thing is that we go as a team, we work as a team. Each one is looking for the safety of the partner, we are waiting for each other. Therefore we avoid many accidents if a rocket explodes and damages protective gear."
M/S Armando 'Coeter' showing how to wear helmet
SCRIPT
Tens of thousands of firecrackers, fireworks and rockets were shot in Spanish Paterna near Valencia, during more than a century-old 'La Corda de Paterna' celebration on Sunday.
Participants were seen wearing special protective gear and helmets, letting off up to 70,000 rockets in around 20 minutes in a secured area of Calle Mayor street.
"The important thing is that we go as a team, we work as a team. Each one is looking for the safety of the partner, we are waiting for each other. Therefore we avoid many accidents if a rocket explodes and damages protective gear", said Cesar Andreu, head of the association organising the event.
'La Corda de Paterna' is held annually on the last Sunday of August and celebrates fire as an element.