Montrose, CO – Citing critical fire danger and public safety city councilors voted unanimously Monday to temporarily ban both the sale and use of fireworks within the city limits. The ban takes effect immediately.
The ban is temporary while drought and the risk of catastrophic fire is ongoing. The reason for the ban was to attempt to help neighboring communities and jurisdictions prevent wildfires by preventing fireworks from being sold and therefore potentially traveling outside the city and into areas where stage-one and stage-two fire restrictions are in effect, like unincorporated areas of Montrose County. The ban expires September 1, 2018.
Normally residents would be seeing fireworks stands springing up throughout Montrose in preparation for the Fourth-of-July holiday.
The previous position was fire danger within the city limits was not deemed too critical to ban fireworks. But as wildfires were raging north of Durango in recent weeks, the city, working with the Montrose Fire Protection District reversed that decision to help calm potential fire danger.
MFPD Fire Chief Tad Rowan stood before councilors during their regular meeting Monday evening to report the district didn't want to place an undue burden on neighboring jurisdictions that are in critical stage-two fire restrictions.
Rowan said there was a "strong effort to keep the public (fireworks) display" as scheduled on Sunset Mesa for the July 4th holiday.
Councilors approved to issue the permit for the annual Fourth-of-July show Monday evening, but it will need the final approval from the fire district on the day of the show in order for the presentation to continue.
Rowan said the district would monitor weather and wind forecasts, and availability of fire department personnel in making their final decision.
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