Police Patrol For Illegal Fireworks After Major Bust In Denver

DENVER (CBS4)- Police officers and firefighters throughout the Denver metro area are patrolling the streets for illegal fireworks.

Those who are caught with illegal fireworks could get a fine or even be sentenced to a year in jail. In Denver, it's illegal to possess fireworks or sell them.

"There's a chance of someone being hurt by the fireworks and someone starting a fire," said Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson.

On Wednesday undercover police arrested Vincent Martinez, 51, when they seized an entire truck load of fireworks he was allegedly trying to sell.

Police said he was driving around a neighborhood looking for anyone interested in buying those contraband fireworks.

"We had an operation where he brought us fireworks and we seized all his fireworks. They will be burned, they will not be set off," said Jackson.

Fire danger is on the rise as typical summertime, hot and dry conditions surface. Fire investigators are trying to determine whether kids playing with fireworks may have ignited a grass fire in Northglenn near the Thornton Rec Center.

"You go out and you go across the city limit line and you spend $300 on fireworks. If we find them, we're going to burn them up and you're going to get a ticket. And you could do jail time if there's something severe about it," said Jackson.

Extra patrols will be out on the streets throughout the holiday weekend looking for illegal fireworks.

The penalty for setting off illegal fireworks in Denver is $1,000. Police want reports of illegal fireworks to be called into their non-emergency number: 720-913-2000.