The U.S. Forest Service is investigating an illegal firework show on top of Mount Evans over Labor Day weekend.
Reid Armstrong with Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests said people trampled over the area and left firework debris on Sunday night and into early Monday morning.
“Fireworks are always illegal on the national forest,” Armstrong said. “Clear Creek County is under fire restrictions due to extremely dry conditions and high temperatures. Any uncontrolled spark, it can cause a wildfire. So in addition to the fireworks being illegal, they were also shortsighted.”
Officials learned of the show through social media, Armstrong said. Both having or setting off fireworks on national forest service land can mean a $5000 fine or six months in jail or both, she said, and restitution if a wildfire starts.
The firework show was part of an end of summer event put on by Nationwide Productions. Forest officials are looking at the event organizer for answers, Armtrong said.
"We're just trying to look for the organizers of the events in order to have a further conversation with them," she said. "Fireworks have been responsible for causing destructive fires on public lands around the nation. They can be harmful to wildlife. They can negatively impact the experience of other users."
Mount Evans is one of Colorado's highest mountains at 14,264 feet above sea level. Colorado has more than 50 peaks above 14,000 feet. A paved road leads to the summit, which is about a 60-mile drive from downtown Denver.
A witness told CBS 4 that more than 100 vehicles were on the summit at the time of the fireworks display.
