WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — It may have already started in your neighborhood: fireworks season.
This Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Wheat Ridge Police Department may use drones to respond to certain fireworks complaints. Last year, they announced they would begin using them to crack down on illegal fireworks.
"Let's say if we get a call for service and a fireworks complaint in an area that's harder to get to, maybe out in an open field or perhaps along the Clear Creek — we have a greenbelt that runs to the north side of Wheat Ridge — that could be a good opportunity to send a drone team over there," said Wheat Ridge PD public information officer Alex Rose. "We may also just implement it as kind of an overwatcher, is what we call it. So just have the drone go straight up, zoom out, and use that perspective to kind of guide our officers on the ground."
The department will also have additional officers on patrol.
Any firework that explodes or leaves the ground is illegal in most of the state. Different municipalities have different restrictions, with penalties of a $1,000 fine up to 90 days in jail.
State
Planning to light up the skies this July 4th? Here are the legal do's & don'ts
Check with your city/county to determine what, if any, fireworks are permitted. Some restrictions may be extended depending on the weather and fire danger. You can find the fire restrictions for each county in Colorado at through this link.
