Clifton area house fire caused by fireworks

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - The Clifton Fire Protection District responded to a house fire on the 500 block of Dodge St. early Monday morning. According to the department, fireworks were the cause.

Used fireworks disposed of near the garage started the blazes. The damage done to the garage and attic space of the home is significant. Responders arrived at around 12:30 a.m. It took about two and a half hours to extinguish the fire.

According to CFPD Chief Charles Balke, “As with anyone else, we all enjoy all the festivities that fireworks bring and everything that it celebrates, but that also comes with significant danger, especially at this time of year. The fire restrictions are put in place for reasons, and it’s never, nobody ever expects that it’s going to happen to them until it does.”

Stage One Fire Restrictions in Mesa County prohibit the use of personal fireworks at this time, as previously reported. The Grand Junction Fire Department provided an engine for the response as well. According to the Fire Chief Balke, crews in the area respond to fires caused by fireworks every year. “You cannot control their path of where their going to go, with as dry as it is at this time of year, it is very dangerous for people.”

Chief Balke also stressed that the effects of fire can not only harm property but people as well. One individual was hospitalized in connection to the fire. “We did have one person transported from that call for smoke inhalation this morning. And again, these are situations that people’s actions have consequences that affect other people.”

The fire chief also described how other human-caused fires like agricultural burns can be especially dangerous at this time. As crews are responding to both natural and human-caused fires, they have been especially taxed this season.

Fire crews are asking the public to comply with the current Stage One restrictions.

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