Alicante Bids Farewell to Master Pedro Luis Sirvent

Alicante bid its final farewell to Master Pedro Luis Sirvent this Thursday. The city gathered at La Siempreviva funeral home to pay respects to the remains of the 'Senyor Pirotècnic', who passed away last week due to a tragic explosion in his workshop.

At 12 noon on Thursday, the ceremony hall opened its doors to honour the life and memory of Pedro Luis Sirvent, with family, friends, festival-goers, authorities, and acquaintances in attendance.

There, after several readings from the 'Apocalypse' and the 'Gospel of John', the parish priest delivered a homily reflecting on the life of the pyrotechnician. He began with Sirvent's childhood, when his grandmother gifted him a chemistry set that "sparked his interest in what became his profession and passion", gunpowder and pyrotechnics.

Not before recalling his time as an administrative officer and civil servant, where "he had more queues of friends than users to attend to", noted the priest, also mentioning his military service in the Navy as a combat driver. "He boasted about it," he added.

One of his great passions was the Fogueres de Sant Joan, in which he was involved from a young age in the Or i Flama barraca, eventually becoming president of Sèneca-Autobusos and one of the founders of its children's commission. Additionally, Pedro Luis Sirvent was an artist and builder of bonfires.

In the 1980s, Pedro Luis partnered with his brother César Sirvent, and with their parents' support, they launched the Alicantina pyrotechnics, becoming the first manufacturer in "his hometown, known and loved by the Fiesta community".

This craft is what he passed on to his children, accompanying them "in his last days of life, prematurely and sadly cut short", in the re-established Hermanos Sirvent pyrotechnics.

The parish priest shared a conversation he had with Pedro Luis Sirvent about "What is in heaven?". He offered the answer to those present: "In heaven, the Lord will also allow festivals and mascletà." With a "rest in peace", the room applauded the memory of the master, the 'Senyor Pirotècnic', as the coffin was carried out.

The funeral of Pedro Luis Sirvent, which served as a "tribute", stated the parish priest, gathered more than a hundred people from Alicante. Among them were family members, festival-goers, friends of the pyrotechnician, security and defence forces, workshop colleagues, and entities that collaborated throughout his career.

In the political sphere, attendees included the Minister of Culture, Education, Universities, and Employment, José Antonio Rovira; the Mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala; government team councillors Lidia López, Antonio Peral, and Julio Calero; as well as the Socialist and Vox municipal groups.

From the Federació de les Fogueres de Sant Joan, its president David Olivares; the bellea del foc, Alba Muñoz; vice presidents Chiky Sánchez and José Luis Torres; and the head of the Technical Office, Roberto Fernández. Also, former presidents Pedro Valera, Andrés Llorens, and Manuel Jiménez; and the president of the Federation of Barracas, Antonio Galindo.

Members of the Fire Prevention, Extinction, and Rescue Service (Speis) and the Local Police of Alicante. The foguerer artist Pedro Soriano, various bonfire and barraca commissions, entities like El Corte Inglés, where he fired the 'Arribada del foc', and associations such as Apeha or neighbourhood groups, along with other festivals in the city of Alicante.