07/03/2026
Unprecedentedly dry fuels, persistent heat and continued windy conditions have pushed Castle Rock’s wildfire risk to a critical level, prompting the implementation of Stage 2 fire restrictions. The heightened restrictions prohibit all fireworks – personal and professional, require local fireworks stands to close and the Town’s Independence Day fireworks show will not take place as scheduled.
Effective immediately:
- No building, maintaining, attending or using an open fire, campfire or stove fire (a stove fire is defined as a campfire built inside an enclosed stove or grill, portable brazier or a pressurized liquid or gas stove, including a space-heating device) without a permit.
- Open fire or open burning means any outdoor fire, including, but not limited to, campfires, warming fires, portable fireplaces or patio fire pits, the lighting of any fused explosives and fireworks of any kind or brand, the lighting of model rockets and the burning of fence lines or rows, fields, farmlands, rangelands, wildlands, trash and debris.
- No smoking unless in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. Open discarding of smoking materials is a violation of the restrictions and the International Fire Code Section 310.7.
- Prohibiting welding or the operation of torches with open flame in outdoor areas, including public parks, greenbelts and trail systems without a permit.
- Prohibiting the operation or use of any internal or external combustion engine without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.
- No open burning of any kind.
- No use or sale of fireworks.
- No use of charcoal grills in areas not associated with a residence, wood-burning smokers, or fires in chimineas, other portable fireplaces or patio fire pits.
- No campfires at developed campgrounds or picnic areas.
These decisions are based on current fuel models and weather conditions. Windy, dry weather means fires can start and spread more easily, with the current wildfire danger continuing to be very high or extreme. Our current conditions are worse than those during the 2002 Hayman Fire, and it is imperative that all residents and visitors exercise extreme caution to prevent wildland fires.
The Town will explore opportunities to reschedule the professional fireworks show later this year when conditions safely allow. However, there will still be something special to look for in the sky this Fourth of July. Two Colorado Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcons are scheduled to fly over the Rock and Downtown Castle Rock at about 10:47 a.m., weather and operational readiness permitting, as part of the celebration of America’s 250 years of independence.
To report fireworks actively being used, call Castle Rock Police dispatch at 303-663-6100 and provide the location. Call 911 for emergencies. Social media and email cannot be used to dispatch responders.
Please comply with the restrictions and help reduce preventable calls during one of the busiest times of the year.
Full restrictions and updates: CRgov.com/FireBans.
Fireworks show updates: CRgov.com/Fireworks.
View the full release at https://www.crgov.com/m/newsflash/home/detail/2636.
