HOUSTON, Alaska (KTUU) – Gorilla Fireworks has moved its operations to a new indoor building in Houston, Alaska, marking a significant change in the way fireworks are sold in the area.

This move comes in response to the 2009 Houston municipal code, which mandates that firework sales take place within permanent, indoor structures to comply with state building and fire codes. “Fireworks sales shall be permitted only within permanent, inside sales structures that comply with the current state of Alaska building and fire code requirement,” according to the municipal code.

The new location, located across the Parks Highway, replaces the iconic yellow firework stand that had been in operation since 1990. The transition came with delays, including road changes and the impact of COVID-19, but the city provided Gorilla Fireworks with extensions, said Carter Cole, the Mayor of Houston.

Gorilla Fireworks manager, Samantha Bouma, commented, “We partnered with them to make sure that we had enough time to have an interesting building and a cool space.”

The new building, which began construction five years ago, spans 15,000 square feet and features an 85,000-gallon tank to support its sprinkler system. The business officially opened its doors in mid-November and has been receiving customers since. “It’s an exciting space, we are excited to show it off. We have a lot of really good products to choose from,” Bouma shared. “We have been dreaming of having a building for probably over a decade.”

The establishment will be open for business on New Year's Eve from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., marking a new chapter for the business and its customers in the city.