Several Southwest Colorado communities canceled Fourth of July fireworks displays this year because of fire weather, but Cortez officials say the city’s professional show went forward safely.
Mancos, Rico and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe canceled fireworks because of fire conditions. Cortez moved forward with its city-hosted celebration at Parque de Vida, in coordination with the Cortez Fire Protection District, emergency medical services and the Cortez Police Department.
Before the holiday, the City of Cortez said the show would proceed only if conditions remained safe. In a statement, the city said a unified command structure would be in place during the event, with fire, EMS and police coordinating throughout the celebration.
In a follow-up email to KSJD, Cortez Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright said the Fourth of July Celebration “went off exceptionally well.”
“There is nothing we would do differently,” Wright wrote. “We expect to continue with a similar program plan for next year.”
Wright said the city monitored several factors during the event, including crowd size, crowd behavior, beer garden attendees, weather, general site security and the availability of emergency resources.
“Should there be any concerning circumstances, we pull together to discuss and determine how to promptly address or mitigate any concern,” Wright wrote.
The city had previously said Cortez was “uniquely positioned” to safely host its fireworks display from the center of Parque de Vida, despite drought and regional wildland fires.
Wright said community support and crowd behavior were both strong during this year’s event.
“Our community supported the event’s vision, and the crowd behaved exceptionally well,” he wrote. “We are lucky to have such community pride in Cortez and residents and visitors who embrace neighborliness and respect each other.”
The event also came with public costs. Earlier this summer, Wright told KSJD the city anticipated spending about $22,000 on fireworks. He said the city also budgeted $12,000 for entertainment and event-related expenses, including $7,000 to Fundamental Needs for entertainment and sound.
Wright said accounting for all staff time would be difficult, but described the Fourth of July Celebration as Cortez’s largest signature event of the year.
The decision to move forward came during a fire season that has kept local and regional emergency agencies busy across Southwest Colorado and southeast Utah.
Cortez officials say the city expects to use a similar plan for next year’s celebration.
