Fireworks cause fires across Denver metro area
Courtesy of West Metro Fire Rescue
Fire officials believe fireworks caused a number of a small fires across the Denver metro area on Monday night.
Our crews tonight on a small grass fire- near Kipling and Alameda. We’ve responded to more than a dozen fires today- the majority since 4:30pm- caused by fireworks. No injuries and no damage to structures- so far. Please help us by preventing any more fires this evening. pic.twitter.com/XAk2Wnmi4A
— WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) July 5, 2022
West Metro Fire Protection District officials said fire crews battled more than a dozen fires on Monday with “the majority since 4:30 p.m. caused by fireworks.”
No one was injured and no buildings were damaged or destroyed in the fires, according to the department.
In Aurora, Aurora Fire Rescue and South Metro Fire Rescue battled a vegetation fire in the 3800 block of South Himalaya Way.
The good news – This fire is 100% contained. The bad news – Illegal fireworks use continues to increase. Fire investigators are on scene working to determine what sparked this fire. We ask the community to please help us by preventing any more fires from happening. pic.twitter.com/YwHYxfFSz7
— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) July 5, 2022
The fire threatened homes and forced evacuations. Crews fully contained the fire shortly before 9 p.m.
Fire officials said witnesses told investigators that they saw aerial fireworks over the Spring Creek Park open space before the blaze ignited.
A little over two hours later, fire crews were sent to a working residential fire in the 7200 block of South Teller Court after a house caught fire.
“The fire is likely due to fireworks improperly discarded,” South Metro Fire officials wrote on Twitter. “Please soak your fireworks in a bucket of water overnight.”
— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) July 5, 2022
The fire was quickly contained and there were no reports of injuries.
A similar incident occurred on Sunday night when a home in Highlands Ranch caught fire after lit fireworks were thrown into a plastic trash can inside the home’s garage.