Arapahoe County adopts fireworks ordinance, advances updated open-fire ban rules
Commissioners approved the county’s 2026 fireworks ordinance and set a June 23 hearing on an updated open-fire-ban measure that would let officials impose or adjust restrictions more quickly in unincorporated areas.
Arapahoe County commissioners on Tuesday adopted Ordinance No. 2026-02 on fireworks and advanced a separate proposal to update the county’s open-fire-ban rules.
According to the May 26 Board of County Commissioners meeting record, the fireworks ordinance continues the county’s general ban on the sale and use of fireworks in unincorporated Arapahoe County, while allowing sales and use from May 31 through July 1 unless commissioners later impose a ban by resolution because of high fire danger.
Commissioners also approved a first reading of Ordinance No. 2026-03, an amended and restated open-fire-ban ordinance. Senior Assistant County Attorney Tiffany Blue told the board during Tuesday’s meeting that the proposal would replace the county’s existing open-fire-ban ordinance, revise how bans are publicized and change violations to a civil infraction with higher penalties.
Under the draft read into the record, the sheriff or the board of county commissioners could declare a fire ban in unincorporated Arapahoe County without an additional resolution if they find, based on competent evidence, that the danger of forest or grass fires is high. The same draft would allow officials to increase, decrease or end a ban as conditions change and would require notice to be posted promptly on the sheriff’s website and social media accounts.
The proposed penalty schedule is steeper than the county’s current burn-ban guidance, which says violations of Ordinance No. 2000-02 are treated as a civil infraction and notes a $500 fine in current fire-restriction notices. The new ordinance as read Tuesday would set fines at $750 for a first offense and $1,000 for second and subsequent offenses.
The sheriff’s office page says Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit open burning without a permit, while Stage 2 restrictions ban outdoor fires more broadly, with limited exemptions including gas grills, propane fire pits and some indoor stoves. If adopted on second reading, the updated ordinance would preserve the county’s basic fire-ban framework while changing how quickly bans can be declared or modified and increasing penalties for violations.
Commissioners scheduled a public hearing and second reading on the open-fire-ban ordinance for June 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the county administration building. The proposal does not take effect unless the board approves it after that hearing.