DENVER — At least three Colorado counties have issued fire restrictions so far this summer due to an increase in fire danger from lack of moisture and expected hot temperatures over the next coming days.
Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnston announced Stage 1 fire restrictions on Monday for unincorporated areas of western Boulder County.
The areas under the Stage 1 fire restriction include:
- West of CO Highway 93 (CO-93), from its intersection with the southern boundary of Boulder County until, and including, its intersection with CO Highway 119 (CO-119);
- West of Broadway Avenue in the City of Boulder, from its intersection with CO-119 until, and including, its intersection with US Highway 36 (US-36);
- West of US-36, from its intersection with Broadway Avenue until its intersection with the northern boundary of Boulder County;
- West of the western boundary of the Rabbit Mountain Open Space until, and including, US-36; and;
- All of the Rabbit Mountain Open Space property.
A map of the areas under the Stage 1 fire restrictions can be seen below.
Those looking to recreate over the next several days can do so in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates, which in Boulder County include:
- Kelly Dahl Campground
- Rainbow Lakes Campground
- Camp Dick Campground
- Peaceful Valley Campground
- Meeker Park Campground
- Olive Ridge Campground
- Brainard Lake Recreation Area (Includes Pawnee Campground)
"The drought trend is there for us to be able to justify that, and the seven-to-10 and 8-to-14-day weather outlook is looking hotter and drier," said Kyle Holsinger, a fire operations specialist for the Boulder County Sheriff's Office Fire Management Office. "With those dry trends and coming into a more drought season, we just felt it was the better idea."
Holsinger told Denver7 the lack of precipitation isn't helping the ground stay moist, creating dry fuels which could help spread wildfire activity should it occur.
"None of these rain systems have really brought us enough moisture into the soil and to bring those fuel moistures back up," Holsinger said. "We're just trying to be proactive in that sense, without being too restrictive at the same time."
Gilpin County to issue Stage 1 fire restrictions on Tuesday, July 2, beginning at 5 p.m.
Gilpin County officials on Facebook said Thursday they would be implementing Stage 1 fire restrictions beginning Tuesday, July 2, at 5 p.m.
The following is not allowed under those Stage 1 fire restrictions:
Wildfire
Here’s what you can and cannot do during Stage 1 fire restrictions in Colorado
Elbert County goes a step further, issues Stage 2 fire restrictions:
Late last month, Elbert County officials issued Stage 2 fire restrictions, which are more stringent than those at Stage 1 and which prohibit pretty much all fires except the following:
- Use of indoor fireplaces and wood-burning stoves with an approved chimney spark arrestor.
- Fires within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves, grills, fire pits, or other gas or liquid-fueled appliances.
- Residential use of charcoal grill fires and smokers when such use is supervised by a responsible party at least 18 years of age.
- Fire suppression or fire department training fires.
- Discharge of firearms.
Parts of Lincoln County under Stage 3 fire restrictions
Several parts of Lincoln County are under Stage 3 fire restrictions, including Arriba, Genoa, Hugo, Karval and Limon, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
Under a Stage 3 fire restriction, no open burning is allowed and those having burn permits issued by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office can NOT burn during Level 3, the sheriff's office states.
Those restrictions are in place until further notice.
The map below shows which counties are under current fire restrictions, shaded in blue.
Can state officials really ban me from doing all those things under Stage 1 restrictions?
Colorado state statutes authorize counties to impose fire restrictions, "to a degree and in a manner that the Board of County Commissioners deems necessary to reduce the danger of wildfires within those portions of the unincorporated areas of the county where the danger of forest or grass fires is found to be high based on competent evidence."
The maximum penalty for violating a restriction order is $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations and/or 6 months imprisonment. The maximum penalty would be imposed by the Federal Magistrate following a court appearance.
"The timing is unfortunate in that sense," Holsinger said referring to the Independence Day festivities. "But the way we see it is, it's the keeping the community safe."
Denver7's Danielle Kreutter contributed to this report.
