With warm, dry and windy conditions forecast through this week, county and federal officials are asking folks to be careful with their fires.
On Tuesday, the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners enacted restrictions on open burning south of U.S. Highway 160. The ban will be effective at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 28. These Stage 1 restrictions affect unincorporated private land and state land areas in La Plata County. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe also has enacted similar restrictions on tribal lands.
The commissioners enacted the fire restrictions on the recommendation of Sheriff Sean Smith and the chiefs of the local fire districts, according to a press release from the county.
"We have had good moisture through the winter and spring months that has led to dense ground fuels," said Butch Knowlton, La Plata County director of emergency management. "Those grasses and smaller fuels at the lower elevations have now dried and created conditions that allow for rapid fire development and movement."
While no fire restrictions have been put in place in the San Juan National Forest as the busy July 4th holiday approaches, some lower-elevation areas are very dry, Forest Service officials said in a separate statement issued on Tuesday. Additional fire prevention patrol officers will be out in force to remind National Forest users to be extremely careful with fire over the July weekend and the rest of the summer.
The county fire restrictions prohibit open burning, burn barrels and agricultural burning on private property and state lands south of U.S. Highway 160. Charcoal and gas grills for barbeques are allowed at private residences or fires within designated campground pits with protective grates. Residents and visitors must not to leave these fires unattended and must carefully and fully extinguish them after use. The use of a campfire, coal or wood-burning stove, any type of charcoal grill or open fire in any undeveloped area is prohibited.
Stage 1 fire restrictions include the following:
Smoking is limited to vehicles, buildings, developed recreational areas and 3-foot-wide areas cleared of vegetation. Fireworks are prohibited.Use of explosive material is prohibited.Use of any internal combustion engine is prohibited unless it is equipped with an approved and functioning spark-arresting device.Welding and cutting operations must be conducted with a 20-foot radius safe zone free of vegetation. A fire extinguisher, water supply, hand tools and a fire watch worker are also required. Flaring for production wells may be allowed with approval from the designated fire chief.A violation of the fire restrictions is punishable by a fine of up to $300 for each violation.
The fire restrictions will remain in effect until the threat of fire danger in La Plata County has reduced significantly, as determined by the sheriff, local fire chiefs and the county's director of emergency management. Should conditions worsen, heightened fire restrictions may be enacted.
The Bureau of Land Management enacted Stage I fire restrictions effective Tuesday on agency lands in La Plata, Archuleta, Dolores, Montezuma, Montrose and San Miguel counties.
At this time, all public fireworks displays for Fourth of July celebrations will continue under the supervision of the respective fire districts. Final decisions will be made according to conditions as the date approaches.
San Juan Forest officials issued the following safety tips:
Clear the area around campfires of all burnable material. Keep a bucket of water and shovel on hand in case wind or other conditions cause your campfire to get out of control.Never leave a campfire unattended. Stir water and dirt into the coals until the coals are cool to the touch and there is no smoke to make sure your campfire is completely out before leaving it.Extinguish smoking materials only in cleared areas free of vegetation or debris. Never toss cigarette butts out the car window.Don't park cars or recreational vehicles over dry vegetation. Exhaust systems can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees; hot enough to start a wildfire in dry conditions.Make sure all off-road vehicles and chainsaws have approved spark arresters. Check and replace spark arresters periodically.Fireworks, including sparklers, are always illegal on National Forest lands. The penalty for violators is a maximum of six months in prison and/or $5,000 fine.Those responsible for starting a wildfire may be held liable for the cost of fire suppression and resulting damages.
For more information about fire policy on federal lands, visit www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan, or follow the San Juan National Forest on TWITTER @SanJuanNF.
