In advance of the , city agencies are driving home the simple but hard-earned message that fireworks are dangerous and, just as important, illegal in Colorado.
Thursday morning’s demonstration united officials from Denver police with fire and paramedic teams at Rocky Mountain Fire Academy in Denver, an industrial facility where firefighters train on large-scale calls including building and car fires.
“We don’t want to see you this season,” said Julie Arellano of Denver Health Paramedics Division.
In a garage that included a table full of sparklers, firecrackers, Roman candles and other illegal fireworks, city officials recited statistics about the dangers of Fourth of July parties gone wrong.
Their overall message: Leave fireworks to the professionals, and if you don’t, prepare to be injured (or fined up to $999, with a possible year in jail).
There were 15,600 reported fireworks-related injuries in the U.S. alone last year — mostly to children and teenagers — said Denver Fire spokeswoman Melissa Taylor. In the weeks leading up to and following the Fourth of July, injuries average about 200 per day, with sparklers accounting for a quarter of emergency room visits.
“They actually burn at 1,200 degrees,” Taylor added, which is hot enough to melt glass.
As the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has said, “Any device that explodes or leaves the ground is most likely illegal in Colorado.” That includes but is not limited to firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets, M-80s and Roman candles. And, yes, sparklers.
To illustrate the potential damage to skin and muscle, a fully uniformed firefighter wearing a breathing mask lit a sparkler outside the garage and ran the burning end up and down an open package of chicken breasts. In terms of overkill it was a bit like watching a professional wrestler pin a baby to a pillow.
The real spectacle arrived when the same firefighter sparked a mini-mortar inside a watermelon, which blew the poor thing into several smoking chunks and nearly hit the assembled semi-circle of media, who had been warned to move back.
“It also alarms people who have PTSD and causes dogs to freak out,” Taylor said of fireworks. “Just last year we had a dog that jumped a fence, ran out into traffic and was hit and killed because of fireworks.”
This year, Denver will pair a police officer and firefighter to ride around on July 4 responding to fireworks reports. Denver Animal Protection has recommended leaving pets at home when attending , keeping them on leashes (and wearing a collar) while out this weekend in general, and keeping them indoors at home while giving them “safe spaces” to hide from loud noises.
Animals found running at-large should be taken to a local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners. Denver Animal Shelter is open 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If your pet becomes lost over the holiday weekend, check the lost pets listings at or visit the nearest animal shelter in person.
Local fire restrictions and rules are available on .
