Area Fire Bans Discussion and Updates.

Sheriff orders a fire ban for all areas of unincorporated Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Co. – Effective on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 9 a.m., a fire ban will be implemented for all areas of unincorporated Jefferson County. These restrictions are intended to reduce the likelihood of human caused wildfires.

This temporary fire ban, dated and executed below, supersedes all previous fire restrictions and fire bans. This order applies to all lands in unincorporated Jefferson County, to include all federal lands.

Because of continuing high fire danger conditions in Jefferson County, the following activities are strictly prohibited:

1. Anything which produces an open flame or has the potential to create an uncontrolled fire.

2. Building, maintaining, attending, or using any fire to burn trash, debris, fence rows or vegetation, or any campfire or warming fire.

3. Use of charcoal or other open fires on any public or private lands.

4. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or while stopped in an area of at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material.

5. Operating a chain saw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arresting device properly installed and in effective working order, and having a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than eight (8) ounces capacity by weight, and possessing one large size pointed shovel with an overall length of at least thirty-six (36) inches. The extinguisher shall be with the chain saw operator. The shovel may be kept with the fueling supplies, but readily available for quick use.

6. Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame, except within an area that is barren or cleared of all combustible material at least ten feet on all sides from the equipment.

7. Use of an explosive initiation system requiring a burning fuse line.

8. Permissible fireworks, as defined by Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-28-101.


Exemptions to this temporary fire ban are listed below:

1. Persons with a valid written permit from the Sheriff and/or the local fire department which specifically authorizes the prohibited act.

2. Any federal, state, or local law enforcement officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

3. Any fires contained within liquid fueled or gas fueled stoves.

NOTE: Burn permits issued and not executed prior to the effective date of this temporary fire
ban shall not be authorized unless one of the exemptions listed above applies.

Exemptions to this temporary fire ban shall be granted within non-federal land only by the Sheriff, and/or the local fire department only if the proposed action is deemed by the Sheriff and/or the local fire department or district to be safe and mitigable. Individuals operating under any of the above exemptions shall take adequate measures to prevent uncontrolled fires. Possible measures include, but are not limited to:

A. Containers of adequate water or dry soil nearby.
B. Shovels, fire extinguishers, or other extinguishing agents nearby.
C. Coordination with the local fire department or district to be on scene or standby during the 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 act(s) violate section(s) 102.8 and 308.2.1 of the International Fire Code.

This temporary fire ban becomes effective at 9 a.m. on September 14, 2010, and shall remain in effect until superseded or rescinded.

Executed this 13th day of September, 2010 at 9 a.m.

Merged 2 topics on the Jefferson County Fire Ban into one thread!!

Thanks!

285 Road Crew

Thanks so much Wily Weasel and Wayne. Sure are alot of Ws around here. LOL

Platte Canyon Fire Protection District has instituted a Fire Ban effective at 1300 hours today, until further notice.

We have merged a couple of Fire Ban threads into this one.

At this time these are the counties / areas under a fire ban. We will add to this as they come in.

Boulder
Jefferson
Platte Canyon Fire Protection District
Larimer
Douglas
City of Golden
Elbert
Park
Pike
Teller
Custer
Las Animas
Fremont
Mesa
La Plata
Saguache
Clear Creek
Gilpin

285 Bound Staff and Scanner Team

The Board of Larimer County Commissioners today adopted fire restrictions on Open Fires and Fireworks beginning immediately and continuing through November 1, 2010. Today’s restrictions are based on a recommendation from Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden in light of dry conditions and prohibit the use of:

Open fires and fireworks in the unincorporated areas of Larimer County. Contained open fires are not restricted at this time. Because ‘contained open fires’ are okay, this is not a ban, but restrictions.

Today’s restrictions mean that no open fires are allowed, no open camp or cooking fires, only “contained’ open fires such as those in camp stoves and grills using gas or pressurized liquid or those in permanently constructed, stationary, metal or masonry fireplaces such as those fireplaces located in campgrounds and masonry or metal fire pits.

- Smoking in the open is not allowed under these restrictions.
- Contained open fires rules also call for operating combustion engines with spark arresting devices, properly installed and in working order.
- An exception to the Open Fires rules is that citizens who live in unincorporated areas of Larimer County can operate a charcoal grill on a non-combustible surface at their private residence.
- No fireworks are allowed under these restrictions.

Any person who knowingly violates the restrictions commits a class 2 petty offense and can be fined. The County’s complete ‘fire ordinance’ is available at: http://www.larimer.org/policies/ .

The Board also authorized Sheriff Jim Alderden to approve exemptions. Open fires include the burning of irrigation ditches except for those located within and completely surrounded by irrigated farmlands where such burning is necessary for crop survival and specific written approval has been granted in advance by the Larimer County Sheriff.

Source

On this Park County Fire ban, and maybe National Forest fire ban how would that affect campers?

Not sure regarding the Platte Canyon Fire Protection District ban, you can contact them at 303 838-5853 for clarification. The Jefferson County ban specifically includes federal lands.

Per Park County website:

NOTE: If Park County is NOT under a fire ban or is under a Stage I Ban, additional restrictions may apply to individual fire districts. This will be for private land only. Please contact the the Fire District for more information on those restrictions

http://www.parkco.us/index.aspx?NID=402

I received the email from the jeffco sheriff clearly explaining the jeffco fire ban.
Park county is a different story. I saw the fire ban sign @ Roland and 285 today and jf1 says that Platte Canyon Fire has issued one. There is no information of this on any of the Park Co. websites. (Park Co., Platte Canyon Fire, Park Co. Sheriff) so is there or isn't there a fire ban?
Or do they just not bother to update their websites?