Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Western Boulder County and Fire Restrictions Rescinded in Eastern Boulder County

Boulder County, Colo. - Sheriff Curtis Johnson and the Board of County Commissioners have amended the fire restrictions, effective immediately, Tuesday, September 3, 2024. The unincorporated western part of Boulder County will now be under Stage 1 fire restrictions, while the eastern section of unincorporated Boulder County has all fire restrictions rescinded.

The Stage 1 fire restrictions include the following area in western unincorporated Boulder 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.

Stage 1 fire restrictions PROHIBIT:

• 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 except for hunting with a valid and current hunting license;
• 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 or outdoor gas-powered equipment 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.

Stage 1 fire restrictions ALLOW:

• 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 hosted and fee-charged 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 Campground
• Olive Ridge Campground
• Brainard Lake Recreation Area (Includes Pawnee Campground)

For more information on fire restrictions on USFS land within Boulder County, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=57718.

Anyone found in violation of the fire ban may be convicted of a civil infraction and may be subject to a $500 fine, in addition to any other possible civil or criminal penalties. Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses.

The fire restrictions do not affect open fires within incorporated cities and towns; however, residents and visitors must comply with applicable ordinances and regulations in their respective cities and towns. The fire restrictions will be in effect until the hazardous conditions have subsided.

Colorado state statutes authorize counties to impose fire restrictions, "to a degree and in a manner that the board of county commissioners deems necessary to reduce the danger of wildfires within those portions of the unincorporated areas of the county where the danger of forest or grass fires is found to be high based on competent evidence."