Littleton fireworks shows still on schedule

Get ready for some fireworks on the Fourth of July — just make sure you’re not the one putting on a show. 

As of press time, fireworks displays were to go on as scheduled at Foothills Park & Rec’s Red, White & You celebration on Wednesday and at Littleton’s Fourth of July Family Festival and Fireworks on Thursday. 

Last year both fireworks shows were canceled due to fire danger and dry weather.

While both shows were still scheduled to proceed, that could change if fire conditions become too dangerous. Check
www.columbinecourier.com before heading out the door to see the pretty patriotic explosions.

Arapahoe County and parts of unincorporated Jeffco are under a stage 2 fire ban, which means all fireworks are prohibited, and smoking must be done in areas clear of combustible material. Also, no fires are allowed, including campfires, portable outdoor fireplaces, tiki torches, chimineas or fire pits.

The areas in Jeffco under a stage 2 fire ban are west of C-470, west of Colorado 93, and west and south of the intersection of Wadsworth and C-470. The ban also includes all federal lands in unincorporated Jefferson County.

Along with the fire ban, the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to remember that, in general, fireworks that leave the ground and explode are illegal in Colorado. It is also illegal to use, sell or possess non-permissible fireworks in unincorporated Jeffco. 

Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets, M-80s and Roman candles. 

Permissible fireworks include cylindrical or cone fountains, sparklers, toy smoke devices, snakes and glow worms.

It is also illegal to sell, use or possess non-permissible fireworks in unincorporated Jefferson County. All fireworks are prohibited in Jefferson County Open Space parks, Denver Mountain Parks and on U.S. Forest Service lands. 

The Sheriff’s Office has said it is taking illegal-fireworks use seriously and will enforce the ban. Anyone caught selling or using illegal fireworks could be charged with a class 3 misdemeanor and face a fine of up to $750.

To report illegal fireworks to the Sheriff’s Office, call the Jeffco fireworks hotline at 303-271-8200.

And if you’re in Littleton, you’ll just have to be satisfied with watching the city’s fireworks show. A city ordinance bans the use and possession of all fireworks within city limits, including items like sparklers. 

“If you light it with a match, it’s prohibited within the city,” said Kelli Narde, Littleton’s director of communications. 

Contact Ramsey Scott at ramsey@evergreenco.com or 303-933-2233, ext. 22, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyColumbine.

Foothills Parks and Recreation’s Red, White and You

5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Clement Park

www.ifoothills.org/rwy

A laser light show is planned in the event the fireworks are canceled 

Littleton’s Family Festival and Fireworks

3 to 10 p.m. Thursday at Cornerstone and Belleview parks

www.littletongov.org