Drought May Extinguish Fireworks
Sale, Use Of Fireworks Already Banned In Many Cities
POSTED: 9:00 a.m. MDT May 15, 2002
UPDATED: 1:36 p.m. MDT May 15, 2002
DENVER -- The skies over the metro area this Fourth of July may be a little duller than before.
Fire officials are considering banning fireworks displays unless the state gets much needed moisture. Otherwise, adding a few sparks to the tinder dry conditions could mean a fire disaster.
Many cities already ban the sale and use of fireworks. The only ones legal in the state are those that don't leave the ground and don't explode, such as sparklers.
Fireworks displays at Mile High Stadium and Coors Field are still planned as are shows in Boulder, Avon and Frisco.
In Aurora, the city will host a public fireworks display for first time in years in the hopes that people don't celebrate Independence Day illegally on their own, city fire officials said.
Some Coloradans circumvent the fireworks ban by going to states such as Wyoming, where it's legal to sell certain types of fireworks.
About 11 million acres in Colorado are under some sort of fire restriction. In some places, like Douglas County, that means no campfire even in fire pits.
That's because the Pike and San Isabel National forests, and Comanche and Cimarron Grasslands, have been deemed by the U.S. Forest Service to be in extreme fire danger.
Additional Resources
Fire officials are considering banning fireworks displays unless the state gets much needed moisture. Otherwise, adding a few sparks to the tinder dry conditions could mean a fire disaster.
Many cities already ban the sale and use of fireworks. The only ones legal in the state are those that don't leave the ground and don't explode, such as sparklers.
Fireworks displays at Mile High Stadium and Coors Field are still planned as are shows in Boulder, Avon and Frisco.
In Aurora, the city will host a public fireworks display for first time in years in the hopes that people don't celebrate Independence Day illegally on their own, city fire officials said.
Some Coloradans circumvent the fireworks ban by going to states such as Wyoming, where it's legal to sell certain types of fireworks.
About 11 million acres in Colorado are under some sort of fire restriction. In some places, like Douglas County, that means no campfire even in fire pits.
That's because the Pike and San Isabel National forests, and Comanche and Cimarron Grasslands, have been deemed by the U.S. Forest Service to be in extreme fire danger.
Additional Resources
Previous Stories:
- May 14, 2002: Douglas County, National Forest Fire Bans Issued
- May 11, 2002: White River National Forest Imposes Fire Ban
- April 22, 2002: Jeffco Fire Ban Issued
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