The denizens of DC became especially lawless and reckless on Independence Day. They bought full-fledged pyrotechnics and then set the streets on fire. The city scurried to the roofs to observe the spectacle, and so buildings that were previously bald now had buzz cuts. There was the old grand show on the Mall, of course. But with a good vantage point, you could scan the District’s horizon and see burning flowers in the distance. All across, east to west, the sky was exploding and whistling and booming with muffled pops. Then the fire drops fell, and their pieces floated back  to the very keepers who set them free.