As temperatures rise and winds pick up, fire officials are asking residents and visitors to be extremely cautious with campfires.

Unattended campfires and fires that have not been fully extinguished are a leading cause of human-sparked wildfires, said Dan Noonan, chief of Durango Fire Protection District.

Firefighters already have responded to several campfires this month that have not been fully extinguished or have been left unattended in La Plata County, he said.

Several people have been seen starting “recreational fires” in open spaces such as Horse Gulch, Overend Mountain Park and Dalla Mountain Park, said Cathy Metz, director of Durango Parks and Recreation.

None of these fires spread into wildfires, but the potential exists, she said.

A recreational fire is a campfire that is no greater than 2 feet in diameter with flame lengths no higher than 3 feet, Noonan said.

The fine for leaving a recreational fire unattended can be anywhere from $200 to $5,000, depending on the circumstances, said Brenda Schultz, special agent with the U.S. Forest Service.

An unattended campfire escaped a fire ring when the wind picked up about 9:30 a.m. Thursday behind Hermosa Hills, Schultz said.

Conditions are very dry, and the winds dry out the vegetation even more, she said.

“The chances of a fire blowing out of a campfire ring are increasing now,” Schultz said.

Strong winds can remove the top layer of ashes, which exposes hot embers underneath, and can blow onto dry shrubbery, Noonan said.

Most wildfires start and spread from these ember showers, said Pam Wilson, executive director of FireWise of Southwest Colorado.

The city is concerned people will continue to start illegal fires and leave them unattended, Metz said.

Residents and visitors can take several precautions to make sure they are not putting themselves and the community in danger of a wildfire, including:

Fully extinguishing recreational fires.

Prepare homes for wildfire season.

Maintain a controlled burn on open fields.

Wind also is a factor in a controlled burn, Noonan said.

La Plata County implemented a burn permit program in 2010 that requires people burning open fields to obtain a burn permit, he said.

Each time people plan to start a controlled burn, they must inform dispatch. Dispatch will give individuals the most updated information about weather conditions. As long as it is not a “red flag” day – meaning high winds, high temperatures, and low humility – residents are free to burn, Noonan said.

Friday was a “red flag” day, as is today.

“We are just asking people to be much more cautious with fire,” Noonan said.

Most wildfires in Southwest Colorado are started by dry lightning.

Residents can take several precautions to protect their property from wildfire.

Keeping wood mulch away from the base of the house and spreading some sort of nonflammable inorganic material around the first five feet from the foundation of the house will prevent flames from immediately reaching the home, Wilson said.

It also can be helpful to clear any pine needles from the roof of the house, she said.

Until monsoon season hits, wildfires will be prevalent in Southwest Colorado, she said.

“We live in an area where we will always have wildfires,” Wilson said. “We have to coexist with fire; you can’t totally prevent it.”

tferraro@durangoherald.com