Fire Restrictions In Boulder County Force Fireworks Stand To Shut Down- For Now
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Fire restrictions in Boulder County have forced a fireworks stand to temporarily shut down. It is just a tent, but what is sold here and where it is located is what has gained attention.
It's located just across the street from where the Marshall Fire, Colorado's most destructive in terms of property, is believed to have started. The cause of that fire has still not been determined.
"It's heartfelt to see what these people are going through and then to see that is almost like twisting the knife in the back of everything they are going through," said Kevin Tillison of Colorado Premier Restoration.
He makes his living helping people restore homes that have burned in the Marshall Fire and elsewhere. The thought of people setting off any kind of fireworks frightens him.
"Putting things in the air, for that matter even on the ground now, is a danger for all of us," he said.
More than 1,000 homes were destroyed in Boulder County last December. A great many of them are in Louisville where the fire department is going to be spreading the word through social media that fireworks, as always, are illegal in that community.
Chris Mestas, the Louisville Fire Marshall told CBS4, "This year with what we have gone through we hope people think hard how dangerous they can be."
The fireworks stand is closed, due to fire restrictions west of Highway 93 in Boulder County. The owner of the company, Brad Witherell told CBS4 by phone that fireworks did not start the Marshall Fire, he only sells ones legal in parts of Colorado and most fires are not started by fireworks. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office sent a deputy to notify the fireworks business it had to shut down for now and made sure it had closed.
Still, people like Tillison are concerned.
"I like the Fourth of July like anybody else, but I do this for a living and I don't want to see any other homes burned. I don't want to see any families in danger," Tillson said with regret.
Many communities have already canceled their fireworks displays for the holiday.