If you thought it was dry and windy this week — conditions that make us ripe for wildfires — you’re right. So does the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Already fires burning in New Mexico and Arizona, as well as along the I-70 corridor near Gypsum, have sparked evacuations and concerns about what may lie in store for the Front Range and the central Colorado Rockies.
Wildland firefighters struggle to contain a fire line. Photo courtesy of FEMA
Today the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office entered into Stage 1 fire restrictions due to dry conditions and high fire danger. The fire restrictions apply to all BLM-administered public lands within the boundaries of Lake, Teller, Park, El Paso, Fremont, Chaffee, Custer, Pueblo, Otero, Bent, Huerfano, Las Animas and Baca counties, until further notice.
“The recent and continuing windy conditions and low relative humidity have dried fuels, priming them for ignition,” said Royal Gorge Field Manager Keith Berger. “In order to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition and loss of values at risk, I am implementing Stage 1 fire restrictions today.”
Under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions the following acts are prohibited:
- Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire except within agency-provided fire grates at developed recreation sites. Devices using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel are permitted.
- 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 a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and working, a chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.
- Using a welder, either arc or gas, or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame, except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter with a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity.
- Using exploding targets.
These fire restrictions are in addition to the year-round wildfire prevention restrictions on BLM-administered public lands in Colorado. These are:
- 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 information about BLM Colorado Fire restrictions visit BLM Colorado Fire Restrictions. For general information about fire restrictions on all lands in Colorado, visit Colorado Emergency Management.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 11 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation
Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $111 billion in economic output across the country in fiscal year 2020—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 498,000 jobs.
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