Fourth of July events in Ouray will be scaled back this year in response to the Gold Mountain Fire, with the July 3 fire department benefit concert and the Independence Day parade and kids’ games a go. The city has canceled the fireworks and water fights.

The city decided on Wednesday that the parade will go on as usual, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, after getting assurances from Ouray County Sheriff Justin Perry that the department can provide adequate law enforcement.

Perry could not be reached for comment.

The Ouray City Council conducted a special meeting Tuesday afternoon, during which Ouray Fire Chief Adam Kunz told councilors firefighters are looking forward to the concert and the kids’ games, both in Fellin Park.

“I think the Fourth of July would be a big breath for everybody,” he said.

Local firefighters are exhausted after fighting the Gold Mountain Fire, but they are ready to have some fun, he said.

City Administrator Michelle Metteer said the city will not advertise to bring the usual thousands of tourists to Ouray. Last year, the city estimated more than 19,000 people visited Ouray during the holiday, according to visitor data gathered from cell phones.

However, councilors acknowledged how important Fourth of July festivities are to businesses in Ouray that are struggling because of the lack of tourism after a warm winter.

Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Schiffer said he supports the activities as long as the sheriff’s office can provide law enforcement.

“I just want to make sure our community is safe and that we don’t overtax the sheriff’s office,” he said.

Since the city council conducted a special meeting Tuesday, no public comment was allowed. More than 75 people attended the online meeting.

Firefighters ready for the holiday

Kunz said the city’s firefighters are ready and able to get back to doing what they do each year for the holiday.

Kunz said he spoke with the Rocky Mountain Critical Incident Management Team 3, which is now in charge of fighting the Gold Mountain Fire, and they had no problem with Ouray firefighters’ involvement with the Fourth of July events.

With an incident management team, most of Ouray’s firefighters are no longer fighting the wildfire, so they are available to answer local calls and organize holiday festivities, Kunz said.

Providing law enforcement

“Our final decision from my perspective on the parade is totally dependent on the amount of coverage the sheriff’s office can provide,” Metteer said. “I don’t want to risk the lives of thousands of people without some assurance from our sheriff’s office that they can provide law enforcement.”

Councilors agreed that hiring the Citadel Security Group to provide all security for the holiday festivities would not be adequate. Citadel provided some security last year, along with a shortstaffed Ouray Police Department. The city effectively disbanded its police department earlier this year and pulled its lone remaining sworn officer off the street in January, relying fully on the sheriff’s office for police services.

“For me, I’m really concerned if the sheriff has the capacity to do law enforcement to monitor these events,” Schiffer said. “That would make me feel much more comfortable moving forward. I am not comfortable with Citadel doing the law enforcement.”

Keeping tourism to a minimum

Kunz said he understands city officials’ wish to have a scaled-down celebration, so the message could be, “If you’re in town, please join us for the celebration,” not “Come and join us.”

“We can’t force people to stay out,” Kunz said. “We can’t close a road and not let them in. If you don’t want the crowd to come in, then not having these events is the way to do it.”

Summer tourism is critical to the bottom line of local businesses. Some businesses have taken to social media in the last couple of days, emphasizing that the fire is moving north away from the city and encouraging tourists to visit.

Councilor Jenny Hart said it is important to balance supporting businesses with safety.

“This is a really hard year for everyone,” she said. “Our business community needs every dollar spent. We need to work together and support each other and have a smaller version of events.”

Mayor Michael Underwood said the city was in a delicate situation.

“We are at the edge of a 8,300-acre fire,” he said, referring to the fire’s size on Monday night. It’s since grown to 15,000 acres. “There’s a certain amount of risk involved in acting like we are out of the danger zone.”

Deb Hurley Brobst is a longtime, award-winning journalist. Email her at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com.