It’s become another unmistakable and sadly inevitable sign of summer in Colorado – fire restrictions put in place each year by officials trying to do everything they can to keep huge portions of the western U.S. from going up in flames.
Bureau of Land Management officials have announced that stage 1 fire restrictions begin today for all BLM-managed areas in Garfield County. BLM fire managers say that the county has not received much moisture recently and that fire danger is high at elevations below 8,000 feet.
The restrictions mean that campfires will only be allowed within designated metal fire grates in developed campgrounds, and that smoking is not allowed except inside an enclosed vehicle or building. No welding or use of equipment with open-flames is allowed except in areas with no vegetation, and no internal combustion engines can be used without a spark-arresting device. Fireworks are always prohibited on BLM lands.
Neighboring Mesa County initiated the same restrictions last week, but so far, the BLM has not announced any fire restrictions for either Eagle or Pitkin Counties.
