Stage One Fire Restrictions In Effect For Western Boulder County
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- With high temperatures and low moisture, Boulder County isn't taking any chances. Stage One Fire Restrictions are in effect immediately for unincorporated areas of western Boulder County.
Stage One means that open campfires and open fires are not allowed on public lands. Neither are fireworks.
Additional Information from Boulder County:
The fire restrictions include any and all unincorporated areas of the county:
West of CO Highway 93 (CO-93), from its intersection with the southern boundary of Boulder County until, and including, its intersection with CO Highway 119 (CO-119);
West of Broadway Avenue in the City of Boulder, from its intersection with CO-119 until, and including, its intersection with US Highway 36 (US-36);
West of US-36, from its intersection with Broadway Avenue until its intersection with the northern boundary of Boulder County;
West of the western boundary of the Rabbit Mountain Open Space until, and including, US-36; and;
All of the Rabbit Mountain Open Space property.
A map depicting the areas of Boulder County affected by the fire ban is included below.
The fire ban PROHIBITS:
Building, maintaining, attending, or using an open fire, campfire, or stove fire on public lands. This includes charcoal barbecues and grills;
Fireworks sales, use, and possession, including permissible fireworks;
Shooting or discharge of firearms for recreational purposes on public lands except for hunting with a valid and current hunting license on public lands;
Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 10 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials;
Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher kept with the operator and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use;
Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter and in possession of a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher;
Using an explosive or doing any kind of blasting work; and
Parking motorized vehicles in grass or vegetated area that can come in contact with the underside of the vehicle.
The fire ban ALLOWS:
Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within developed recreation sites (listed below), and on private lands along with the use of portable stoves, lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or a fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stove with a ¼" spark arrester type screen is permitted.
The following developed and hosted recreation sites allow fire in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates, in accordance with USFS policies and closures.
Kelly Dahl Campground
Rainbow Lakes Campground
Camp Dick Campground
Peaceful Valley Campground
Meeker Park Overflow Campground
Olive Ridge Campground
Brainard Lake Recreation Area (Includes Pawnee Campground)
Anyone found in violation of the fire ban may be convicted of a class two petty offense and may be subject to a $500 fine, in addition to any possible civil penalties. Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses.