Getty Fireworks Bans
Fire dangers are high in Colorado this month, and as officials deal with growing fires in the state, Fourth of July celebrants are wondering just what is and isn’t going to be allowed this year. Read on for the details.
General Colorado state law bans personal fireworks that explode or leave the ground, Fox 31 reported. This includes firecrackers, rockets, Roman candles, cherry bombs, and the like. No matter where you are in Colorado, these are always banned. From there, fireworks bans vary from city to city and from county to county.
Areas that are banning fireworks completely include the following, as reported by Fox 31 and other local sources. Note that many of these bans do not include professional fireworks shows. Check with your local area for more details or to ensure nothing has changed at the last minute. (Note: Statewide bans still apply in areas where legal fireworks are permitted. If a city has canceled its professional fireworks show, this means individual fireworks are also banned.) This is not an exhaustive list. If your city isn’t listed, contact your local officials for updates.
- Adams County (unincorporated): All fireworks are banned in unincorporated Adams County east of North Schumaker Road and in some local areas, like Commerce City and Northglenn, Fox 31 reported. Check your city for local bans.
- Arapahoe County (unincorporated): All fireworks are banned in the unincorporated parts of the county. Some incorporated areas have also banned fireworks, like Greenwood Village and Centennial. This ban does NOT apply to professional fireworks shows supervised by firefighters.
- Arvada: Banned. But the professional show is still happening.
- Aspen: Fireworks show canceled, but it’s being replaced with a drone light show.
- Aurora: Banned. A professional fireworks show is still happening.
- Bennett: Fireworks are banned and there’s no show this year.
- Boulder (city): Banned. Professional shows will still happen.
- Boulder County: Banned in western parts of the county. A Level 1 fire ban is in place.
- Breckenridge: Banned between July 3 and July 5. The fireworks show has also been canceled, per Fox 31.
- Buena Vista: Fireworks show canceled.
- Canon City: Fireworks show canceled.
- Castle Rock: The fireworks show has been canceled due to weather and fire dangers.
- Centennial: Banned.
- Colorado Springs: Fireworks are banned, but the professional show is still happening.
- Commerce City: Banned. This even includes small sparklers.
- Cripple Creek: Fireworks show canceled.
- Denver (city and county): Banned.
- Denver Mountain Parks: Banned.
- Douglas County: Banned. A stage 1 fire restriction is in place for the unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
- Durango: Fireworks show canceled.
- Englewood: Banned.
- Fort Collins: Banned. This even includes sparklers. The professional fireworks show will still happen.
- Garfield County: Varies depending on the location. (See note in the next section.)
- Glenwood Springs: Fireworks show canceled, but it’s being replaced with a laser light show.
- Golden: Banned. A professional show will still happen.
- Greenwood Village: Banned. But the site notes that “toy caps, sparklers, trick matches, cigarette loads, trick noisemakers, toy smoke devices, and novelty car alarms” are not considered fireworks.
- Jefferson County: A Stage 2 Fire Ban is in place, which prohibits all personal fireworks in the county. Professional displays approved by a fire agency are exempt.
- Lakewood: Banned.
- Larimer County: See note in the next section.
- Littleton: Banned.
- Manitou Springs: Fireworks show canceled.
- Northglenn: Banned.
- Ouray: Fireworks show canceled.
- Palmer Lake: Fireworks show canceled.
- Parker: Banned.
- Silverton: Fireworks show canceled.
- Steajmboat Springs: Fireworks show canceled, but it’s being replaced with a laser light show.
- Summit County: Banned. Professional fireworks shows have been canceled.
- Telluride: Fireworks show canceled.
- Thornton: Banned.
- Vail: Fireworks show canceled.
- Woodland Park: Fireworks show canceled.
Areas that allow small, legal fireworks include the following. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, so contact your local officials for details about your area.
- Brighton: Legal fireworks are permitted in the city.
- Broomfield: Some small, legal fireworks are allowed.
- Colorado Springs:
- Garfield County: This is a bit complex. Some municipalities are allowing fireworks in their city limits. In unincorporated areas, legal fireworks are OK to buy but illegal to use because a Stage 2 fire restriction is in effect.
- Larimer County: Legal fireworks only permitted outside city limits of municipalities that have bans.
- Lone Tree: Legal fireworks permitted.
- Weld County: Legal fireworks are permitted.
- Westminster: Sparklers, fountains and spinners permitted from July 3, 12 p.m. to July 5, 12 p.m. The Jefferson County ban doesn’t affect Westminster during that period.
If you want to know if there’s a fire ban in your region, view an interactive map here. Or see Colorado’s website here for details.
