La Plata County announced it would lift all fire restrictions Friday morning alongside local fire protection districts and the National Forest Service.
A news release sent Thursday by the county said recent rainfall throughout La Plata County, including the jurisdictions of the Durango Fire, Upper Pine River Fire, Los Pinos Fire and Fort Lewis Mesa Fire districts, decreased fire danger enough to make officials confident about lifting the restrictions.
“Recent precipitation, higher humidity and cooler temperatures with additional forecast rains have changed conditions so that the criteria for Stage II and Stage I fire restrictions are no longer met,” the release said. “Sheriff Sean Smith, as Fire Marshal for La Plata County, will rescind the restrictions based on requests from area fire chiefs.”
The release stated that private lands in the towns of Bayfield and Ignacio, the city of Durango and federal and tribal lands were excluded from the decision.
County spokesman Ted Holteen said the county and local fire agencies are grateful that residents and tourists adhered to the restrictions.
“The chiefs collectively want to thank everybody for pretty much following the rules,” Holteen said. “So, thanks for good behavior and keep it up.”
The most recent data from U.S. Drought Monitor shows that much of the Western Slope is still in severe or extreme drought, despite recent rainfall.
“It’s not like the ground is saturated or that the vegetation is saturated,” Holteen said. “There are still a lot of dry spots, and we’re still in a drought. And it has to be noted that people still need to behave very responsibly out there.”
Holteen noted that with fall hunting season coming up, locals and tourists may be tempted to have campfires while out recreating. Both Holteen and the news release urged recreators to continue being cautious and to make sure their fires are fully extinguished when they leave camp.
“It is possible for us to go back into fire restrictions this fall if conditions worsen and indexes warrant fire restrictions,” the release said. “While many indexes regarding moisture and humidity have improved, ground moisture remains low and threat for lightning and human-caused fires persists.”
The release outlined responsible campfire practices, such as clearing all flammable material within 3 feet of campfire rings; making a fire only if a shovel and sufficient water to douse the flames are nearby; never leaving a fire unattended; keeping fires small and manageable; and, most importantly, extinguishing fires completely.
“If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” the release said. “Every campfire should be put DEAD OUT before leaving it.”
For more information on fire conditions, visit La Plata County’s fire restriction website or the Forest Service’s San Juan National Forest restriction page.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
