Colorfully lit drones will be flying in patriotic formations over cities and towns across the U.S. this July 4th as a newfangled alternative to fireworks — particularly in the bone-dry West, where sparks can cause catastrophic wildfires.

Why it matters: Finally, there's an appealing alternative to traditional pyrotechnics, which critics have been hating for years (due to noise, pollution, injuries, and environmental harm).

Driving the news: As communities ban fireworks because of drought, a small but growing number are turning to nighttime drone shows as the flagship entertainment for Independence Day.

After rare winter wildfires devastated Boulder County, Colorado, several Denver-area towns moved quickly to hire Hill's company for July 4th.

Among the places switching to drone shows this year: Galveston, Texas; North Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Imperial Beach, Calif.; and Lakewood, Colo.

Between the lines: For most of the year, drone light show companies cater to corporate clients and wealthy individuals — putting everything from corporate logos and QR codes to cartoon characters into motion in the sky.

For July 4th, shows feature traditional iconography: Drones might fly into the shape of the Statue of Liberty, Old Glory, and the Liberty Bell.

The big picture: The shift away from fireworks is worldwide: India and China — widely billed as the birthplace of fireworks — are also cracking down on their use. Shanghai's 2020 New Year's celebration included a 2,000-drone display.

What they're saying: "Our goal ... is to supersede fireworks," John Hopkins, co-founder of the British drone show company Celestial, told Reuters.

The other side: The fireworks industry reaped $262 million in revenue from public displays and $2.2 billion from consumer purchases in 2021, per the American Pyrotechnics Association.

The bottom line: Thanks in part to climate change, safety concerns have vaulted to the top of the list of problems with fireworks — virtually ensuring that drone shows will become a modern July 4th tradition.