Aspen fireworks likely

ASPEN ” Sheriff Bob Braudis will decide Friday if there will be Fourth of July fireworks on Aspen Mountain.

Braudis said he will send a team from the Aspen Volunteer Fire Department to inspect the condition of potential fire “fuels” ” trees and brush ” on the mountain before making his decision.

But early indicators are good, he said.

The moisture content in the trees and brush is high, according to first reports, and it’s likely that the fireworks will be held on the mountain overlooking town, Braudis said.

Aspen Fire Chief Daryl Grob and Ron Baar, a volunteer fireman with extensive wildfire experience, will visit the mountain Friday morning and advise Braudis on the conditions.

“The fuels conditions are tending towards positive,” Grob said, noting that despite a large brushfire near Carbondale in March, there have been few wildfires in the region so far in 2008.