Poudre Fire: 2 Fires Started by Fireworks in Fort Collins

In a twelve-hour period, Fort Collins firefighters battled two fires started by Fourth of July fireworks, Poudre Fire Authority shared on Instagram.

There are hefty fines associated with setting off fireworks in Fort Collins — even sparklers and snakes. Last year, PFA responded to a firework-related garage fire in Fort Collins that resulted in $150,000 in damages. PFA shared on social media that aside from the fines and the property damage, this Fourth of July, five people were sent to the hospital, and one firefighter was injured.

On Saturday, July 4, firefighters responded to a firework-sparked grass fire just before 4 p.m. near the Harmony and I-25 exit. In total, that fire burned 1.5 acres, and was fueled by dry heat and wind.

Just before 1 a.m. on July 5, firefighters responded to a house fire that was also caused by fireworks. The two-story home on Camino Del Mundo, east of I-25, caught fire near the garage where discarded fireworks were being stored in a bucket.

'Firefighters completed a search of the home and used a traditional hose attack from the exterior and interior to extinguish the flames,' PFA shared on Instagram. 'They had to remove some of the garage ceiling to inspect the interior spaces and maintain control of the fire. Crews remained on scene to monitor and extinguish hot spots as well as ventilate the home. Two adults and three children went to the hospital for assessment and a firefighter suffered an ankle injury. The cause of the fire was improperly disposed of fireworks.'

Permitted fireworks also started a large grass fire in Windsor on July 3.