Stage 1 fire restrictions for unincorporated, private, & state lands begin for Garfield County tomorrow May 31, 2018, beginning at 12:00 AM. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the six Fire Districts in Garfield County, (Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District, the Glenwood Springs Fire Department, Colorado River Fire Rescue, Grand Valley Fire, Gypsum Fire and the De Beque and Lower Valley Fire) will enact Stage 1 fire restrictions, until further notice, on all unincorporated private and state lands within Garfield County.
Fire managers base decisions about fire restrictions on specific moisture measurements in vegetation and other risk factors. With a lower than normal snow-pack this past winter along recent hot & dry weather, conditions have created high fire danger at elevations below about 8,000 feet.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office will be enforcing temporary restrictions: campfires are only allowed within designated fire grates in developed campgrounds (i.e. a metal, in-ground containment structure — fire pans and rock campfire rings are not acceptable)
- no fires of any type including charcoal outside of developed areas.
- no smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or in a barren area free of vegetation.
- no use of explosive materials, including explosive targets or bullets.
- no welding or operation of an acetylene or other similar torch with open flame except from an area that has been cleared of vegetation.
- no operation of any internal combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed and in working order.
Those found responsible for starting wildfires will face the restitution costs of suppressing the fire.
“People in Garfield County understand what fire season is, and we typically see good compliance with fire restrictions, which helps reduce the number of human-caused fires.” -Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone in Garfield County for their cooperation in doing their part to keep us all safe.
For more information about fire restrictions, go to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Website or the Garfield County Web Site at: www.garcosheriff.com or www.garfield-county.com
