Let's All Celebrate the Fourth of July Safely - Leave the Fireworks to the Professionals

News release from the Douglas County Sherriff's Office 

Contact Information:
Douglas County Sheriff's Office
Public Information Officer
Phone: 720-770-0178
Email: pio@dcsheriff.net

(Castle Rock, CO)  As Independence Day approaches, it is essential to know how one can celebrate the holiday safely. It is also crucial to understand the legal ramifications regarding the use of fireworks.

Each year, the careless use of fireworks contributes to personal injuries and significant financial losses to property owners, insurance companies, and the community. The use of illegal fireworks could also result in criminal charges such as Arson, Criminal Mischief, Reckless Endangerment, and civil penalties for damages caused by the illegal fireworks.

Fireworks that explode or leave the ground are always illegal in Colorado. The use of illegal fireworks in unincorporated county areas, the City of Castle Pines, and the Town of Larkspur can be punishable with fines from $50 to a maximum of $750.00 and/or up to six months imprisonment.

For those who live in incorporated Douglas County, please visit your city’s website for policies on fireworks.

But it is more than just an issue of what is legal or illegal. The night of the Fourth, as well as several nights leading up to it, always comes with a huge increase in the calls for service relating to fireworks complaints.

Every year our dispatch center is inundated with calls from citizens reporting that they hear fireworks going off somewhere in their neighborhood. This severely impacts our call system and could affect our response to other calls for service.

We also ask our residents not to hold celebrations in the street. This is a safety issue that could delay emergency response if needed.

Please help us, so we can properly help our community.

We have established a Fireworks Hotline to report the use of illegal fireworks. This means you are seeing someone set off illegal fireworks, not just hearing them in your neighborhood. We need to know the exact address where they are being used.

The hotline, 303-814-7118, will be active July 3rd – 6th, 6:00 p.m. until midnight. Please use the non-emergency number, 303-660-7500, outside those dates and times.

Please DO NOT call 9-1-1 to report the use of fireworks unless there is an injury or an actual fire.

Again, please do not call to report the sound of fireworks, only use the hotline if you see someone using the illegal fireworks.

We recommend that you celebrate the holiday by watching professional fireworks shows to avoid accidents and legal consequences.

 

 

The agenda for the June 25 City Council Meeting is now available. The study session will begin at 6 p.m., and the regular meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

City Council meetings are held as a hybrid meeting, with both virtual and in-person attendance options available. Meetings are held at the Castle Pines Library Event Hall (360 Village Square Lane). Register to attend the meeting virtually.

The new and improved intersection at Happy Canyon Road and Lagae Road is scheduled to open with access from all directions on Monday, June 24. The redesigned intersection will improve safety and traffic flow efficiency at a major entryway into the city. The newly constructed roundabout will be completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

Crews will continue to work on completing a few project tasks, such as stormwater pond improvements and initial landscaping preparation. This work is expected to have minimal impacts on traffic access.

This project is one of the City Council's priorities as it continues to focus on improving the city's roadway infrastructure. Visit the Road Solutions webpage for more information on the City's Road Solutions Plan.

Visit CastlePinesCO.gov/HCRoundabout for more information about the project.

Hear from Mayor Tracy Engerman as she provides an update on City activities, including the Happy Canyon Road and Lagae Road roundabout, the reconstruction of Monarch Boulevard, the Castle Pines Urban Renewal Authority, and more.

Looking for more information on these topics? Visit the City's website:

• Happy Canyon Roundabout: CastlePinesCO.gov/HCRoundabout
• Monarch Boulevard Reconstruction: CastlePinesCO.gov/Monarch
• Castle Pines Urban Renewal Authority: CastlePinesCO.gov/Urban-Renewal
• Upcoming Events: CastlePinesCO.gov/Calendar

Meeting highlights from the June 11 City Council meeting include:

• Approving a professional services agreement with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. for design services related to future improvements to the I-25 and Happy Canyon Interchange.

View the meeting agenda for more information about all agenda items. Visit the City Council Meeting webpage to watch the recording.

 

The agenda for the June 11 City Council Meeting is now available. The regular meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., with a study session after.

City Council meetings are held as a hybrid meeting, with both virtual and in-person attendance options available. Meetings are held at the Castle Pines Library Event Hall (360 Village Square Lane). Register to attend the meeting virtually.

The May edition of the City's e-newsletter is now available. Learn about the ongoing roadway projects, opportunities to engage with Douglas County, and more. bit.ly/TheSourceMay2024

Visit the City's website to subscribe to receive future e-newsletters right to your inbox. CastlePinesCO.gov/NewsletterSignUp

We are pleased to announce the opening of limited lanes in the roundabout at Happy Canyon Road and Lagae Road beginning Monday, June 3. Access to and from the roundabout will be open from Lagae Road to the north and Happy Canyon Road to the south. The west travel lane from I-25 will also be open.

During this phase of the project, the portion of the roundabout heading east to Happy Canyon Bridge/I-25 will be closed as the team completes a few final project steps, including updates to the deer guard. Click on the detour map to the right to view more information about the closure. This closure is expected to last approximately one week and is essential to safely and efficiently complete the final construction stages. To access I-25 from Happy Canyon Road, an alternate route will be available by traveling north on Lagae Road to Castle Pines Parkway.

The entire roundabout is expected to open in the next few weeks, ahead of schedule. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we enhance the city's infrastructure.

Visit CastlePinesCO.gov/HCRoundabout for more information about the project.

Meeting highlights from the May 28 City Council meeting include:

• Approving an extension to a contract with Schmidt Construction Company for pavement maintenance and street improvement services.
• Approving a change order for a contract with Ulteig Engineers, Inc. for on-call engineering services.
• Approving a professional services agreement with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. for on-call land development review, engineering services, and construction inspection services.
• Denying a site improvement plan application for a McDonald's Drive-Thru.

Visit the meeting agenda for more information about all agenda items. Visit the City Council Meeting webpage to watch the recording.

The agenda for the May 28 City Council Meeting is now available. The regular meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

If you would like to provide public comment about the Public Hearing for Resolution 24-39, please note that comments must be provided in person because of the quasi-judicial nature of the public hearing. Public comment on this topic must also be given during the public hearing portion of the meeting and may not be given during the general public comment period.

City Council meetings are held as a hybrid meeting, with both virtual and in-person attendance options available. Meetings are held at the Castle Pines Library Event Hall (360 Village Square Lane). Register to attend the meeting virtually.