IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. – Forest Service officials are investigating the use of a "large number" of fireworks at the summit of Mount Evans earlier this week.
The fireworks were shot off after midnight Monday, according to a news release from the USDA Forest Service.
Investigators found videos and information Instagram that showed more than 140 people had hiked to the summit after driving to the top of Mount Evans Road, which closed for the season Tuesday. The fireworks were part of an unsanctioned "cruise" to the summit, organized on social media by a group known as "Nationwide Productions," the new release said.
Forest Service crews found evidence of the fireworks at the summit on Tuesday.
The Forest Service warned against using fireworks – they're illegal at all times in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Clear Creek County remains under fire restrictions due to dry conditions.
Fireworks can be especially harmful to a high-alpine ecosystem like Mount Evans, the Forest Service said. Mount Evans is home to goats, bighorn sheep, ptarmigan and pica.
Anyone with information about the fireworks event is asked to contact the Forest Service law enforcement at 303-275-5266.