COLORADO, USA — Firefighters continue to battle wildfires across the state. Over 20 counties have already implemented fire restrictions to help reduce risk in an already concerning moment.
Information on fire restrictions and bans changes rapidly. Here is an up-to-date list of current bans across the state.
>Video above: Wildfires currently burning in Colorado
Stage 1 fire restrictions:
Archuleta County
Clear Creek County
Delta County
Dolores County
Gilpin County
Gunnison County
Hinsdale County
La Plata County
Mesa County
Rio Blanco County
Ouray County
San Juan County
San Miguel County
Stage 2 fire restrictions:
Eagle County
Garfield County
Grand County
Moffat County
Pitkin County
Routt County
Summit County
Recently affected areas:
The most recent restrictions include public lands in Northwestern Colorado run by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that are under stricter restrictions starting Friday, June 25. These restrictions apply to administered lands in Grand, Eagle, Summit, Routt, Moffat, Garfield, and Rio Blanco counties along with lands within the Kremmling, White River, and Little Snake Field Offices, according to this news release.
Stage 2 fires restrictions enforce the following temporary restrictions:
- No building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, charcoal grill, coal, wood-burning stove, or sheepherders’ stove, including in developed camping and picnic grounds. Devices using pressurized liquid or gas are exempted.
- No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, trailer, building, or tent.
- Using an explosive requiring fuse or blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets and tracers, or incendiary ammunition.
- No operating or using any internal combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order meeting either:
- Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Standard 5100-1a; or
- Appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practice J335(b) and J350(a). 36 CFR 261.52(j).
- No operating a chainsaw without an approved spark arrestor, and without a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher, and a round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches. The extinguisher will be with the equipment operator. The shovel may be kept with fueling supplies but readily available for use.
- No welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame (except with a current permit, contract, or letter of authorization).