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The Colorado Rockies groundscrew preps for clean up after the 4th of July fireworks show.
The Colorado Rockies held a massive fireworks show on the 4th of July to ring in Independence Day. A former player revealed that the grounds crew will likely have its work cut out for it in the days to come.
Coors Field’s grass is damaged after each and every July 4th holiday. Ryan Spilborghs says it has nothing to do with the fireworks show, which happened to go rogue this year.
The celebration is somewhat of a tradition in Denver. After home games during the holiday weekend, fireworks are blasted with attendees invited to watch on the field.
Here’s a look at the scene from 2025:
The scene was similar in 2023.
You get the idea.
Typically, the show lasts about 20-30 minutes. This year was no different. After the Rockies hosted the Giants on Saturday night, fireworks shot off behind the scoreboard in left field.
The sights were incredible. This year’s show had one minor hiccup.
Rogue firework drops onto Colorado Rockies field.
A rogue firework dropped onto a fan taking in the show on the outfield grass. No injuries have been reported.
The small fire that sparked was put out by the safety crew. An update says that the man’s jersey was “a little singed,” but that he was unharmed.
Fireworks shows always come with the risk of danger, whether they’re put on by amateurs or professionals.
Colorado understands those risks. In fact, the majority of celebrations in the area were cancelled as a way of wildfire prevention. Hot, dry conditions in the state caused 55 professional shows to be nixed. Many instead opted for drone shows.
This is the perfect example of why. Events without proper safety precautions risk causing major damage.
The Colorado Rockies fireworks show had a plan. It quickly dealt with the mishap and provided an incredible display. The rogue shot might’ve caused a little damage to the field, but that’s not what the grounds crew is most concerned about.
Why is Coors Field damaged each 4th of July?
Former Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs revealed an odd reason for singed grass after 4th of July celebrations. It has nothing to do with fireworks.
Spilborghs says crew members revealed to him that many fans bring their loved ones’ ashes onto the field to be spread. It kills the outfield grass.
“The grounds crew tells me this all the time,” he said in a recent podcast segment. “Did you know that a lot of fans that come onto Coors Field during the 4th of July, they may or may not drop their nana and dump them on Coors Field, the ashes? It happens a lot.
“The grounds crew tells me that the worst part, I hate to tell you, is that ashes destroy the grass. So, people dump ashes on the grass, it actually kills the grass, and the grounds crew has to come in and grab the ashes. It just burns it… The grounds crew has to replace it. There’s a burn mark.”
I’ve personally never thought about the chemical reaction that takes place when human ashes are spread on grass. Apparently, the damage can be very real.
Spreading cremated remains can harm the immediate environment where they’re scattered, though the damage is typically localized. Human ashes have a pH of about 11.8, comparable to bleach, and contain sodium levels roughly 2,000 times higher than what most plants can tolerate. A single scattering won’t cause widespread ecological damage, but it can kill grass, alter soil chemistry, and stress plant life in that specific spot…
The two biggest problems are the extreme alkalinity and the salt content. At a pH of 11.8, ashes are far more alkaline than the slightly acidic to neutral range (6.0 to 7.5) that most plants need. When ashes mix with rainwater, they create a saline solution that seeps into the ground, raising the soil’s pH and salt concentration. Grass beneath scattered ashes will visibly “burn,” turning brown and dying off.
So, if you’ve ever thought about spreading ashes on your favorite team’s home field, maybe reconsider. While the damage is typically localized, it does create a clean-up job by the crew.
The crew might be dealing with both ash and fireworks damage this time around. With that said, we’ll leave you with the finale from Saturday’s Colorado Rockies fireworks show.