USFS Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Lifted 10/7

Forest Service, ARP @usfsarp 2h
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions on all National Forest System lands in Clear Creek, Gilpin, Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties. Grand County bans all campfires as fire danger increases.
Learn more here ow.ly/jM9850FhZBG


National Forests along northern Front Range enter fire restrictions
Grand County bans all campfires as fire danger increases

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (June 24, 2021) – Due to the forecast of continuing dry and warm conditions, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests’ Clear Creek, Boulder and Canyon Lakes ranger districts along with the Pawnee National Grassland are enacting Stage 1 fire restrictions effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 25. Stage 1 fire restrictions limit where and what type of fires visitors can have and remain in place until rescinded.

The following is PROHIBITED under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions:

Igniting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire (including fires fueled by charcoal or briquettes) outside of a permanent metal or concrete fire pit or grate that the Forest Service has installed and maintained at its developed recreation sites (campgrounds and picnic areas)
Smoking, except in an enclosed 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.
Operating a chainsaw without an effective and properly installed spark arrestor, a fire extinguisher kept with the operator, and a shovel.
Blasting, welding, or operating a torch with an open flame without being in a cleared area of at least 10 feet in diameter and having a fire extinguisher kept with the operator
Using an explosive. This includes but is not limited to fuses, blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets, tracers, and incendiary ammunition. (Fireworks are always prohibited on National Forest lands).
Discharging a firearm, unless lawfully hunting will be prohibited only in Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties to align with county fire restrictions.

Violation of Stage 1 fire restrictions could result in a maximum fine of $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for more than six months, or both. If responsible for causing a wildfire, one could be held accountable for suppression costs of that fire.

West of the Continental Divide in Grand County, fire restrictions have been elevated to stage 2, prohibiting all campfires, even in campgrounds, as well as smoking outdoors and target shooting. Northwestern Colorado is experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions.

Be sure to visit the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests’ Know Before You Go page to see fire restriction orders and maps.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Lifted for Federally Managed Lands in Five Central Colorado Counties

Release Date: Oct 7, 2021

PUEBLO, Colo., October 7, 2021— Due to recent moisture and cooler temperatures in the area, the Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office and the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands will lift Stage 1 Fire Restrictions across federally administered lands in five counties in central Colorado. These restrictions take effect at 12:01 a.m., October 8, 2021.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in lifted for all BLM-managed lands in Chaffee and Lake Counties, and for all National Forest System lands, roads and trails, on the Leadville and Salida Ranger Districts located within Chaffee, Fremont, Lake, Park and Saguache Counties in Colorado.

“The moisture and cooler temperatures are a welcome relief for the area,” said Forest and Grassland Supervisor Diana Trujillo. “However, we still ask everyone to continue to recreate responsibly, ensuring any campfire is completely extinguished with water and cold to the touch before leaving it.”

“While the risk of wildfire has minimized due to the precipitation we’ve received, it doesn’t mean we can completely let our guard down,” said Royal Gorge Field Office Manager Keith Berger. “We request everyone’s help to keep preventable fires from occurring.”

While Stage 1 Fire Restrictions have been lifted, the following year-round wildfire prevention restrictions on federally administered public lands in Colorado are still in effect. These year-round restrictions prohibit:

• Leaving a fire unattended or unextinguished.
• Possession, discharge or use of any fireworks.
• Discharge of a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.
• Burn, ignite or cause to burn any tire, wire, magnesium, or any other hazardous or explosive material.
• Operate any off-road vehicle on public lands unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester pursuant to 43 CFR 8343.1(c).

For more information on USDA Forest Service Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands fire restrictions, please visit the fire restrictions page here. For more information about current fire restrictions in the BLM’s Royal Gorge Field Office, please visit the Rocky Mountain District Fire Restrictions page.