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Montrose City Council extends temporary ban on fireworks sales through Sept. 1, 2026
Summary
On July 6 the Montrose City Council adopted Resolution 2026-09, extending a temporary ban on the sale of fireworks within city limits following a city manager emergency declaration tied to regional wildfires; the measure bans sales but does not prohibit private use and is intended to reduce fire risk and preserve reimbursement eligibility for city response costs.
Montrose City Council on July 6 adopted Resolution 2026-09 to temporarily ban the sale of fireworks within Montrose City limits through Sept. 1, 2026. The council ratified a sale ban that City Manager Bill had imposed under a seven-day emergency declaration on June 29 and moved to extend it by council action.
City Manager Bill told council the ban covers sales, not use, and that the city moved quickly to prohibit sales after wildfires near the area. “We’ve banned it as of, a week ago,” Bill said, adding, “So with that, none of these tents, no retail establishments can legally sell fireworks within the city limits.” Bill said the ban was set to run until Sept. 1 to mirror a similar action the city took in 2018.
Council debate focused on the practical effect and optics of the measure. One council member noted vendors had largely packed up, making the sales ban largely moot in the short term; another said the city should act to show solidarity with nearby fire-affected communities and to avoid creating further risk. Council member Jake Drake cited local research, saying it showed “historically we have not had fires within the city limits caused by fireworks,” while other members pushed that perception and prevention both matter during an active fire season.
The resolution was moved and seconded and passed in council action. One councilor experienced a temporary log-in problem during the remote vote but later indicated a yes vote. The council’s action to ban sales does not prohibit private use of legal fireworks; staff said enforcement will be proactive this year, with police focusing on illegal aerial devices and responding to complaints.
The vote followed council discussion about how the sales ban differs from the broader emergency measures considered later in the meeting. The council then moved on to consider an emergency ordinance that would ratify and extend the city’s local emergency for wildfire response.
The council did not specify additional enforcement penalties in the resolution text beyond existing code authorities. The council’s resolution and the underlying emergency declaration will be included in the city’s records and were discussed as part of the subsequent emergency ordinance proceedings.
