A false burglar alarm Sunday afternoon led Denver police to discover a cache of illegal fireworks. A garage in the 1100 block of South Julian Street was loaded with an array of recreational explosives, police and fire officials said.
“It’s not completely full, but it’s pretty close,” said assistant Denver fire chief Steve Garrod. “It’s way more than personal use, but it doesn’t matter. It’s never legal to possess fireworks, other than those little poppers.”
Police who arrived after the alarm went off about 12:45 p.m. found the homeowner’s teenage nephew in the garage along with the fireworks and packaging material. Investigators think the homeowner, who hasn’t been identified, was repackaging the explosives for resale, said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
Police arrested the homeowner on suspicion of possession of fireworks when he arrived home shortly after officers arrived. Fireworks ranging from firecrackers to rockets were removed from the garage and taken away on a flatbed truck, piled high.
Possession of fireworks in Denver can net fines up to $999 or six months in jail.
Denver, like most municipalities in Colorado, bans fireworks because of the potential to cause fires, as well as injuries.
“We are going to investigate this very thoroughly; we take it very seriously. The danger to the community was real. In terms of explosives, this is like having a meth lab next to your house,” Jackson said.
The row of modest, older wood-frame homes are close together. A neighbor’s home on the adjoining street backs up to the garage where the fireworks were stored.
“Kaboom, the whole block could have gone up like that,” said Jeff Wells, who lives a few houses down and did not know the accused homeowner.
Neighbors said the homeowner has lived there with his wife for about three years. They described the couple as nice, friendly people. The husband, they said, sometimes sold roasted chiles to augment his income.
“He may be a nice guy, but the fact is, he is endangering his neighbors,” Jackson said.
This week Denver police and firefighters launched a public awareness campaign called “Don’t Cross the Line” about the dangers of fireworks and the risk of fines or jail time.
