Forest fires, fireworks and Colorado Springs (Denver, Fort Collins: apartment, houses, neighborhood)

[DoodlemomCoS]

I keep seeing fireworks are banned in Colorado proper and Monument (not the big shows just things with wicks). It doesn't seem to deter anyone because we still see giant tents up selling them. I'm curious if a firework has ever caused the start of a significant forest fire Colorado Springs' history.

Because we live just inside the forest, it's pretty nerve wracking to hear people lighting off those fireworks that launch into the sky. You can definitely hear the ones I'm talking about and these aren't sparklers or those small cones.

I guess police don't try to crack down on this because it's too hard to pinpoint the individuals. I would think this is a no brainer, don't launch a bunch of fireworks in a dry wooded area.

Just wondering what the laws are and if a firework has ever started a major blaze around here.

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by DoodlemomCoS

I keep seeing fireworks are banned in Colorado proper and Monument (not the big shows just things with wicks). It doesn't seem to deter anyone because we still see giant tents up selling them. I'm curious if a firework has ever caused the start of a significant forest fire Colorado Springs' history.

Because we live just inside the forest, it's pretty nerve wracking to hear people lighting off those fireworks that launch into the sky. You can definitely hear the ones I'm talking about and these aren't sparklers or those small cones.

I guess police don't try to crack down on this because it's too hard to pinpoint the individuals. I would think this is a no brainer, don't launch a bunch of fireworks in a dry wooded area.

Just wondering what the laws are and if a firework has ever started a major blaze around here.

Apparently fireworks caused a small fire (2 acres) at Homestead Park near South Carefree Circle and Escapardo a couple of days ago. Statewide, fireworks that leave the ground are illegal, but municipalities can decide if they want to allow fireworks like fountains, firecrackers and sparklers which are allowed under Colorado law. Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins have an outright ban on all types of fireworks. Durango canceled its fireworks display after the Lightner Creek fire which displaced many people from their homes over this past weekend. Aspen has also cancelled its display

Fire officials believe that even a stray spark from a small firework has the potential to ignite a major fire.

A segment on Fox News quoted Castle Rock Fire Chief Art Morales as saying “The calculations that we’ve run here lately show our fuel, if you were to put a little ember into the grass, will ignite 80 percent of the time,” Morales said.

SOURCE: Fireworks temporarily banned due to high fire danger | FOX31 Denver

By "forest," do you mean the Black Forest area? If so, I can understand why you would be especially concerned after the catastrophic fire that raged through there a few summers back. If people are launching fireworks into the sky, this is definitely illegal, and the police should be giving them citations. However, conservative El Paso County never seems to want to spend money on ANYTHING, so the local police departments may be too short handed to do much about scofflaws who shoot illegal fireworks into the air.

Here in Montezuma County, a man was arrested a couple of days back for burning his trash in an open barrel. People should not hesitate to call local authorities if they see someone shooting off illegal fireworks. An attitude of "live and let live" or "Well, that's just what kids do" is very irresponsible in a hot, dry summer such as the one Colorado is experiencing this year. Here in the Four Corners we seem to be surrounded by forest fires and the sky has been hazy with smoke for about a week now. It does make for some startling sunrises and the moon was blood red the other night. We get reminded of the danger of forest fire by just going out to see the sunset!

[DoodlemomCoS]

Technically we aren't officially in Black Forest as we are west of highway 83 but yes, they are the same ponderosa trees so as far as Mother Nature is concerned we are part of that forest.

[beezle1]

If you see someone using illegal fireworks, call the non-emergency number for your local law enforcement.

Know your fireworks: What's legal, what's not in El Paso County

[TCHP]

Fireworks have never been attributed to a significant forest, field, or structure fire in Cos. Have they created any number of small fires, absolutely.

I too would like to think that area residents are smart enough to not launch fireworks or burn trash on windy days or any other number of high risk activities, but history proves otherwise.

Here is a decent summary on the biggest fires we've had. Of course this was written before Waldo Canyon and Black Forest, so we can just add those on top of this list.

http://gazette.com/fire-a-local-history/article/11372

[otowi]

Fireworks are illegal in the city limits except for a few things, however they are legal outside the city limits in El Paso County, with the exceptions of certain explosives and ones that shoot into the air like pop bottle rockets, roman candles, etc.

The older I get the less I like them because I think more and more people take a one day holiday and turn it into a month long excuse to get drunk and blow things up past 11 o'clock at night. I have a lot of military neighbors who suffer PTSD symptoms with all the explosions and flashing lights, and a lot of wildlife and pets are terrified too. If people would limit it to the 4th and obey the law I would probably not mind so much.

[MsMetal]

I don't understand why El Paso Co doesn't ban them. Seems like a no brainer to me too. It is so dry, yet I know they're going to be going off all around me. Last year I could see big ones being lit in Briargate (I'm up on a hill) & they actually looked like the real ones I could see, just lower to the ground :-(

[Vision67]

Seems this is a big problem. I doubt that our city has enough resources to enforce this law.

Illegal fireworks prompt 200 complaint calls in Colorado Springs, spark small fire | Colorado Springs Gazette, News

"Use of fireworks is illegal in the city, as well as in Manitou Springs, Monument and Teller County. An infraction in Colorado Springs is punishable by up to 189 days in jail, $2,500 in fines or both.

About 10 p.m. Sunday, firefighters were called to Copper Stone Apartment Homes, at Pikes Peak Avenue and Circle Drive, where flames caused by fireworks were burning a bush and damaged part of the building and an overhanging roof, said fire spokesman Steve Wilch."

"Anyone who suspects illegal use of fireworks is asked to call th"e non-emergency police line, 719-444-7000."

[TCHP]

Spent the evening of the 4th at a friend's house up on one of our western mesas. He has views of the eastern horizon that extend from roughly Palmer Park to the Broadmoor. It provides a nice vantage point, albeit it a bit far, of the shows at Memorial Park, Ft Carson, and Gates Country Club. However, what I found much more interesting than these big shows, was the constant and nearly non-stop small neighborhood shows on the horizon conducted by private individuals. It was all along the east fringe of the city and particularly heavy down in Security/Widefield/Fountain area. Consisting of predominately the larger retail mortors you can get at stands in Wyoming, Kansas, etc. the horizon line was a constant barrage of these small mortors from around 8:30 until we left at 10 and its was still continuing unabated. No doubt for a dozen houses on a culdesac, their view of their single show of a dozen or so shots was nice, but froma vantage point to overlook a third of the city and see a significant portion of the eastern and southern sections of the city lit up almost non-stop by private shows was impressive.

Of course thinking of this thread and watching these displays, I had to wonder that if anyone was calling these in to dispatch, where in the world would they start and how could they manage the literally, tens of thousands of launches going on last night.

[otowi]

I live down in Security/Widefield and yeah it was non-stop. And those things aren't cheap - the amount of money that went up in smoke last night is phenomenal. I did not see any law enforcement but they would just be truly overwhelmed - it is on every street, and if someone calls something in all that will happen is people will hide their illegal stuff if a police vehicle comes by, hard to see how a few patrol officers would be able to enforce much. Did here several ambulances....

Originally Posted by TCHP

Spent the evening of the 4th at a friend's house up on one of our western mesas. He has views of the eastern horizon that extend from roughly Palmer Park to the Broadmoor. It provides a nice vantage point, albeit it a bit far, of the shows at Memorial Park, Ft Carson, and Gates Country Club. However, what I found much more interesting than these big shows, was the constant and nearly non-stop small neighborhood shows on the horizon conducted by private individuals. It was all along the east fringe of the city and particularly heavy down in Security/Widefield/Fountain area. Consisting of predominately the larger retail mortors you can get at stands in Wyoming, Kansas, etc. the horizon line was a constant barrage of these small mortors from around 8:30 until we left at 10 and its was still continuing unabated. No doubt for a dozen houses on a culdesac, their view of their single show of a dozen or so shots was nice, but froma vantage point to overlook a third of the city and see a significant portion of the eastern and southern sections of the city lit up almost non-stop by private shows was impressive.

Of course thinking of this thread and watching these displays, I had to wonder that if anyone was calling these in to dispatch, where in the world would they start and how could they manage the literally, tens of thousands of launches going on last night.