Effective at 2:30 p.m., Aug. 14, private lands within Lake County were placed under a Stage 1 Fire Ban due to high fire danger. But at the same time, the U.S. Fire Service and the Bureau of Land Management have not moved to place any fire ban on federal lands in that county, or in Chaffee County.
Stage 1 Ban prohibits:
🚫 Open flames & campfires (including BBQ grills) outside of permanent fire ring/grate in developed sites
🚫 Smoking outdoors, except in developed recreation site
🚫 Chainsaw use without spark arrestor together with fire extinguisher and shovel on hand
🚫 Welding/Acetylene torches, except in allowable cleared areas
🚫 Use of explosives
Read the full ban from Lake County Sheriff at https://bit.ly/3fYKtvh.
Fire bans had only been removed in the past month, as drought conditions this past spring and early summer were considered serious enough to maintain bans. But with the arrival of the July monsoon rains, these were removed across federal lands, not just in Lake County but in Chaffee County as well.
Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze says that with a high percentage of private lands irrigated, and much of Chaffee County legally public lands, it doesn’t make sense for the county to reinstate fire bans until the federal agencies do so.
Contact Leadville Fire Department (719-486-2990) or Lake County Sheriff’s Office (719-486-1249; Non-Emergency number) for further information.
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