As wildfires rage across the West, many municipalities are cancelling their fireworks displays, while others - including the City of Cortez and the Town of Bayfield - are not.
On Colorado’s Western Slope, Dove Creek, Durango, Grand Junction, Mancos, Montrose, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Rico, and Silverton are among about 60 municipalities statewide that have cancelled. The Town of Dolores is also not having fireworks.
Many locales are still offering other entertainment, such as games, bike rides, live music, parades, and readings of the Declaration of Independence.
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has also cancelled its fireworks show. The Ute Mountain Casino posted on social media, “Due to fire safety concerns, the Ute Mountain Fireworks Show is cancelled this year. Food, friends, jackpots, and live music will still be ready to welcome you as planned! We’ll see you July 3 and 4!”
In a July 1 press release, the Dolores County Sheriff’s Office said:
“Due to current Red Flag fire conditions and the heightened risk of wildfire, the planned meat pit and fireworks display have been canceled.
“While we understand that fireworks are a longstanding tradition and an important part of Independence Day celebrations – especially as our nation commemorates its 250th anniversary – the current weather conditions make their use unsafe. Extremely dry vegetation, low humidity, and strong winds have created conditions where even a single spark can quickly ignite a fast-moving wildfire.”
But the City of Cortez is currently planning to hold its traditional display in Parque de Vida – a decision that some locals have been questioning.
“Our danger is rather low, absent dangerous winds or thunderstorm activity, in which case we would of course cancel,” City Manager Drew Sanders told KSJD in a phone interview. He noted that Cortez has a huge central park system covered in green grass.
“The risks are very well mitigated,” he said. “We’ve been watching the forecast. We’re aware of the dangers, and the final go/no go decision will be made at the time of the fireworks. We have zero problem canceling if the conditions are not right.”
Sanders said the decision to proceed was made in collaboration with city police, the city Parks and Recreation Department, and the Cortez Fire Protection District.
“It is safe in good conditions,” he said. “This is not somebody arbitrarily doing it. Conditions have been much worse in the past and they have still done them and been successful.”
He said he hopes the city display will help minimize the number of individuals shooting off personal fireworks in town.
“My hypothesis is, by us having a fire display, it could serve to limit that some, but people are going to do it no matter what. It is illegal and we’ll be prosecuting you if you’re caught doing that.
“It’s illegal every year. Every year we do take law-enforcement action.”
Sanders said shooting fireworks illegally is dangerous.”That’s a bigger risk because it’s not controlled. We do have fires that are started from that.”
Whatever Cortez officials ultimately do regarding the fireworks display, which draws thousands of people to the parks, they will be criticized, he noted.
“We are getting pushback to cancel and pushback to not cancel,” Sanders said. “This is not one of those decisions that can be made by a public vote.”
He said the fireworks decision is continuously being reassessed and will be based on “science, facts, and conditions.”
“And no matter what we do, somebody’s going to be mad,” he added.
The Town of Bayfield east of Durango is also planning to hold a fireworks display. Giving people an alternative to individual fireworks is a reason they also cited.
The Upper Pine River Fire Protection District said in a social-media post, “Some people are going to be bound and determine to have fireworks on the 4th. This controlled firework show under close supervision and under strict go/no guidelines based on wind and weather with months of planning knowing that Stage 2 or 3 bans would be likely in place has been thoroughly planned for. There have been several group meetings looking at mitigating the risk. If a show for everyone is not provided people will go quickly across the border to NM and purchase Fireworks banned in Colorado.”
In the post, Upper Pine River Fire Protection District officials also said, ‘What we are trying to avoid is thirty people shooting off fireworks in their back 20 starting dozens of fires that there is no way we can get to in time. Even the call taking and dispatch time will let a fire get a jump especially if people try to suppress it and delay calling.”
Next door to Colorado, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has issued an emergency order prohibiting all fireworks statewide, with some flexibility allowed for municipalities to have their own shows.
Arizona and New Mexico do not have statewide bans.
