Burn Bans

For Immediate Release - Jun 30, 2011

Contact: Jacki Kelley
Sheriff's Office Public Information Director
303-271-5697 - work
303-435-1421 - cell

Mark Techmeyer
Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer
303-271-5602 - work
303-419-3392 - cell

200 Jefferson County Parkway
Golden, CO 80401

Re: Fire restrictions issued in Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Co. – Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink has issued temporary fire restrictions effective at 8:00 a.m. on July 1, 2011 for the below listed areas in unincorporated Jefferson County:

All lands west of Highway 93
All lands west of C-470
All lands west of Highway 121, for all portions south of C-470
These fire restrictions are intended to reduce the likelihood of human caused wildfires.

Pursuant to the annual operating plan regarding the implementation of fire restrictions and fire bans; and due to the continuing high fire danger condition within Jefferson County, the following activities are prohibited pursuant to stage 1 restrictions:

Building, maintaining, attending or using any fire or campfire, except a fire within a permanently constructed fire grate in a developed park, campground, or picnic area.
Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least six feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material.
Note: Burn permits issued and not executed prior to the effective date of these temporary fire restrictions shall not be authorized unless approved by the issuing agency on the day of execution.

Exemptions approved under these temporary fire restrictions:

Persons with a valid written permit from the sheriff or appropriate fire authority, which specifically authorizes the prohibited act.
Any federal, state, or local law enforcement or fire officer acting in the performance of an official duty.
Any fires contained within liquid fueled or gas fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices.
Charcoal grill fires at private residences or within a permanently constructed grate in a developed park, campground, or picnic area.
Campfires or bonfires required in religious ceremonies and for which a valid written permit has been granted in advance by the local fire department or district.
Permissible fireworks, provided that all combustible material is adequately cleared above and around the fireworks used.
Individuals operating under any of the above exemptions shall take adequate measures to prevent uncontrolled fires. Possible measures include, but are not limited to:

Containers of adequate water or dry soil nearby
Shovels, fire extinguishers, or other extinguishing agents nearby
Coordination with the local fire department or district to be on scene or standby during an activity
Pursuant to County Resolution CC 97-433, violations of these prohibitions, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $600.00. Such acts violate sections 102.8 and 308.2.1 of the International Fire Code.

These temporary fire restrictions shall remain in effect until superseded or repealed.

DECLARING FIRE BAN IN BOULDER COUNTY

WHEREAS, C.R.S. §30-15-401(1)(n.5) authorizes the Board of County Commissioners
of Boulder County to impose fire restrictions and to ban open fires within the unincorporated
areas of the county when the danger of forest or grass fires is found to be high; and

WHEREAS, Boulder County Ordinance 2006-2 states that the Board of County
Commissioners of the County of Boulder or the Boulder County Sheriff shall, whenever the
danger of forest or grass fires is found to be high, and without further proceedings or resolution,
have the authority to declare an open fire ban, which may include the prohibition on the sale of
fireworks; and

WHEREAS, the Boulder County Sheriff has found that the danger of forest or grass fires
is indeed high; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the powers granted to the Board and Sheriff to impose fire
restrictions and ban open fires, C.R.S. §24-32-2109(1), provides that the principal executive
officer of the county may declare a local disaster, defined at C.R.S. §24-32-2103 to mean "the
occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, loss of life or property
resulting from any natural cause or cause of human origin, including but not limited to fire...";
and

WHEREAS, conditions of high fire hazard now exist in Boulder County; and,

WHEREAS, the Boulder County Emergency Operations Plan provides for imposition of
fire restrictions under these circumstances;

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED THAT:

1. A Fire Ban is in effect and open burning and the sale and use of fireworks is
prohibited in the mountain areas of Boulder County, in the areas above the North
and South Foothills Highways, and below the Peak to Peak Highway; (including
all areas West of State Highway 36 (North Foothills), from Canyon Boulevard in
the City of Boulder north to its intersection with Highway 36 and West of
Highway 93, from its northerly terminus at Canyon Boulevard and continuing
south out of the City of Boulder as South Foothills Highway in unincorporated
Boulder County; and all areas East of the Peak to Peak Highway, (State Highways
119 and 72). Open burning is permitted only under the conditions described in
paragraph 2, below.

2. For purposes of this order, "open burning" shall be defined as any outdoor fire,
including but not limited to campfires, warming fires, and charcoal grill fires.
This order excludes fires contained within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves and
fireplaces. It excludes campfires in maintained and improved campgrounds. The
Fire Ban allows for:
• Liquid or gas fuel stoves
• Fires in improved/maintained campgrounds (see below)

List of developed campgrounds that ALLOW campfires in pre-designated
campfire rings on site under current Fire Ban (Designated FEE campsites)
Camp Dick
Peaceful Valley
Pawnee
Kelly Dahl
Olive Ridge
Meeker Park
Mount Alto- only in the 3 developed campfire rings
SH7- the most western picnic area (pulloff)- called campsite 6
Caribou
Lost Lake
West Magnolia

Campgrounds that DO NOT allow campfires under current Fire Ban
(Dispersed campground sites)
Gordon Gulch
Ruby Gulch
Ceran St. Vrain
Lefthand OHV
Winiger Ridge

This order also excludes any federal, state, or local officer or member of an organized
rescue, police or firefighting agency in the performance of an official duty.

3. Because sparks and hot ashes from any source contribute to the fire danger, the
discharge of all fireworks including permissible fireworks, as defined in C.R.S.
§12-28-101(8), as amended, outside incorporated city limits and within the
unincorporated areas of Boulder County described in paragraph 1, is prohibited.
In addition smoking outside incorporated city limits is strongly discouraged
except within an enclosed motor vehicle or building, a developed recreation site,
or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared
of all flammable materials.

4. This Fire Ban including a ban on open burning and the sale and discharge of
fireworks in Boulder County shall be in effect beginning at 12:00 p.m. on
Thursday, June 30th, 2011 and shall remain in effect unless amended or
rescinded by the Boulder County Sheriff or the Board of County Commissioners
of Boulder County.

5. Any person who violates this Fire Ban commits a class 2 petty offense and upon
conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500) for a
first offense, seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750) for a second offense, and one
thousand dollars ($1000) for a third and any subsequent offense. The penalty
assessment procedure provided in Section 16-2-201, C.R.S. shall be followed by
the arresting Sheriff’s Deputy or other officer for any violation of these Level 1
Fire Restrictions, and the graduated fine schedule set forth herein shall be
followed when issuing any summons and complaint in accordance with such
procedure.

ADOPTED this 30th day of June, 2011
BOULDER COUNTY SHERIFF
___________________________
Joseph K. Pelle, Sheriff
_____________________________

Sheriff Pelle orders outdoor fire ban
Thursday, September 01, 2011


Sheriff Joe Pelle has enacted a fire ban, which restricts open burning and prohibits the discharge of any and all fireworks and model rockets in the unincorporated mountain areas of Boulder County.

This includes all areas west of Broadway in the City of Boulder, and includes all areas west of U.S. 36 (North Foothills Highway), and west of Highway 93 (South Foothills Highway) as well as Rabbit Mountain Open Space (see map).

During the fire ban, open burning is permitted only under the following circumstances:

• Fire contained within liquid or gas fuel stoves
• Camp fires in U.S. Forest Service improved/maintained campgrounds that are currently open to the public
• Charcoal grill fires on private property

All other open fires and the use of any kind of fireworks or model rockets are banned.

The ban will remain in effect until the hazardous fire conditions subside. Anyone found in violation of the ban may be convicted of a Class 2 petty offense and may be subject to a $500 fine. Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses.

Fire ban rationale
The Boulder County foothills have continued to dry out after months of moderate moisture. Currently, Boulder County has a high fire danger rating, as determined by the National Weather Service National Fire Danger rating System. This is due to a combination of dry fuels, hot and dry weather and an increase in regional wildland fire activity.

It is anticipated that with the continued late summer and early fall drying season and the expected beginning of the Chinook winds, Boulder County will continue to have a high fire danger rating.

State statutes authorize counties to impose fire restrictions when the threat of wildfire has been determined by credible and quantifiable data, to be “high.” The Sheriff’s Office relies upon data from the U.S. Forest Service, the National Weather Service, and local experience with fire conditions to make this determination.