As Coloradans gear up for a hot Fourth of July weekend, fire restrictions are in place for much of the parched western half the state and high country.
More than half the state is experiencing drought conditions, with large swathes of the Western Slope facing severe drought caused by low snowpack levels and higher than normal temperatures last winter.
Wildfires can ignite easily and quickly become out of control with high temperatures and dried-up vegetation. The risk is even higher in parts of Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Conejos counties, which are facing extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Stage 1 fire restrictions, which includes limited campfires and no aerial fireworks, are in place for areas including Eagle, Delta, Garfield, Pitkin, Mesa, Summit, Moffat, Elbert, Montezuma, La Plata and Montrose counties. There are fire restrictions as well in the White River National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management Upper Colorado River District, and Mesa Verde National Park and lower elevations of the San Juan National Forest. Rocky Mountain National Park always has stage 1 fire restrictions in place.
An orange flag warning was issued in Teller County to alert residents of very high fire danger. Outdoor burning is not recommended under these conditions because flames can start easily and can be very difficult to control.
Temperatures will be close to and slightly above seasonal averages this weekend, forecasters predict.
Across the Eastern Plains and lower elevations along the Western Slope, like Grand Junction, temperatures are expected to be in the low-to-mid 90s, said Bruno Rodriguez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Office in Boulder.
“So fairly close to normal, maybe just around 5 degrees above average for Saturday, but for Fourth of July and Sunday, it looks pretty much right on par with average conditions as far as temperatures are concerned,” Rodriguez said.
Forecasters also predict a relatively dry weekend with a chance of scattered thunderstorms in the late afternoons and early evenings. The risk of severe weather is low for the three-day weekend, Rodriguez said.
County sheriffs work with fire chiefs and land managers, using specific criteria like weather outlooks and moisture of vegetation, human risk factors and firefighting resource availability, when deciding to enact fire bans.
Last week, two large wildfires scorched hundreds of acres along the Western Slope, forcing households to evacuate and officials to shut down roads.
Before you kick off holiday festivities, here’s what you should know about fire restrictions in Colorado.
Most importantly, can I roast s’mores around the campfire?
It depends. Under a stage 1 ban, you can light a campfire if it is inside a fire pit or ring on private land or at a public recreation site. Fires at dispersed camping sites are prohibited.
Outdoor fires in portable devices that don’t have a shut-off valve, like chimeneas, charcoal grills and tiki torches, are also not allowed.
If you’re backpacking, you are permitted to use a gas-fueled stove that has a shut-off valve. (Pro tip: Those work well for s’mores in the backcountry.)
- Fireworks. Regardless of fire bans, Colorado prohibits fireworks that leave the ground. You can find a list of firework shows, led by professionals, here.
- Outdoor smoking in areas where there is a lot of dry, combustible debris. Smoking inside a vehicle, building, developed campsite or area with cleared debris is allowed.
- Explosive targets and incendiary rounds
- Internal or external combustion engines, like chain saws, ATVs or generators, without a spark-arresting device
- Welding or operating acetylene or other torches with an open flame in an uncleared area without a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher. (If you are in an area with a cleared 10-foot diameter and a fire extinguisher, you’re good.)
Fire bans can be enacted quickly, so before lighting fireworks or starting a fire, check fire restrictions from the local county sheriff’s office, the fire department or the federal land agency for the area where you plan to visit.
If you live in an area where fireworks are allowed, the state’s fire division recommends:
- Always keep a hose and water nearby while lighting fireworks
- If a firework doesn’t detonate, assume that it is still live. Leave the firework undisturbed for at least 15 minutes to ensure it does not reignite. Douse the firework with water and leave it undisturbed for five more minutes.
