Illegal Fireworks Overwhelm Southern Colorado Emergency Lines as Fire Calls Rise

Overview

• Private fireworks were widely used across Southern Colorado despite prior bans and official warnings, prompting a flood of reports to local agencies.
• The Colorado Springs Fire Department said it logged 344 calls in a 24-hour period that covered the holiday, and found eight fires it directly attributed to fireworks.
• Police and the El Paso County sheriff’s office published phone numbers for reporting illegal fireworks, but call lines were inundated and staff struggled to keep up.
• Emergency crews balanced the fireworks response with normal medical, traffic and public-safety calls while officers increased patrols and warned of possible citations and seizures.
• City cancellations of permitted displays and warnings about critically low fuel moisture framed official messaging that urges attending monitored shows or choosing nonpyrotechnic alternatives to reduce wildfire danger.