AURORA | Aurora abruptly banned the sale and use of all consumer fireworks after elevating fire restrictions to Stage 2 on Friday, reversing plans announced in June that would have allowed limited personal fireworks during the Independence Day holiday.

Despite the tighter restrictions, the city’s Fourth of July professional fireworks display will proceed Saturday night with enhanced fire safety measures, according to Aurora Fire Rescue spokesperson Eric Hurst.

“We really tried to allow people to be able to celebrate the 4th of July responsibly with legal fireworks, but the elevated restrictions are necessary given the totality of circumstances this fire season,” Aurora Fire Chief Alec Oughton said in a statement.

Personal-use fireworks are banned across much of the metro area because of elevated fire danger. Douglas County and Arvada yesterday canceled their public professional shows.

The Stage 2 restrictions take effect immediately and prohibit the sale and use of all consumer fireworks, along with recreational fires, open or prescribed burns, model rockets and outdoor smoking in city parks and open spaces.

Aurora Fire Rescue said it has developed extensive safety plans for the city’s fireworks show, including positioning multiple fire units around the launch site to quickly extinguish any fires caused by sparks or debris. The department also will increase staffing for its wildland specialty crews through the holiday weekend and operate under a unified command with the Aurora Police Department, the city’s Office of Emergency Management and other departments.

Oughton urged residents to celebrate by attending the city’s organized event rather than using personal fireworks, saying the restrictions are intended to help keep firefighters available for emergencies.

The announcement marks a significant change from Thursday, when Aurora remained one of the few metro-area cities still allowing limited consumer fireworks that stayed on the ground and did not explode. Under the new restrictions, those fireworks are no longer permitted.

Aurora fire officials cited worsening wildfire conditions across the state, where many areas are dealing with multiple emergency and disaster declarations in response to active wildfires.

They also said that hundreds of Colorado firefighters and resources from Front Range departments have been deployed to fires across the state and western United States, reducing the mutual aid available if a major wildfire were to break out in Aurora.

Aurora spans Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, all of which are now under Stage 2 fire restrictions.

The official Independence Day celebration hosted by the city from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday at the Aurora Municipal Center’s Great Lawn will have a professional, half-hour fireworks display starting at 9:30 p.m.

Officials asked residents to report illegal fireworks use or outdoor fires through the city’s reporting system and to call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.

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