The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office has announced Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, effective yesterday, August 5, due to relatively dry conditions in the county. The restrictions apply to the unincorporated county. The Town of Pagosa Springs has not yet declared any fire restrictions within its town limits.
The U.S. Forest Service has also declared fire restrictions within the San Juan National Forest; learn more here.
Below are the activities PROHIBITED by the Sheriff’s order while the restrictions are in place.
PROHIBITED during fire restrictions
The items listed below are NOT authorized during fire restrictions.
a. FIRE
The building, maintaining, attending, or using any fire, campfire, coal or wood burning stove, any type of charcoal fueled broiler, or open fire of any type in undeveloped areas, is NOT authorized during Archuleta County fire restrictions. (refer to EXEMPTIONS)
b. BURN PERMITS
Burn permits issued shall not be authorized during the fire restriction period.
c. FIREWORKS
The USE of ALL fireworks is prohibited in a fire ban. This includes “permissible fireworks” such as but not limited to small fireworks devices designed to produce audible or visual effects by combustion, fountains, cones, spinners, sparklers, poppers, snake or glow worm pellets and other trick noisemakers. Please see the complete listing as defined below.
DEFINITION: Fireworks as defined in section 12-28-101(3) C.R.S, and shall specifically include “permissible fireworks” as defined in section 12-28-101(8) C.R.S.
d. OPEN BURNING
Agricultural burning of crop land, fields, rangeland, weed burning, debris burning, slash piles, prescribed burning and any open burning including ‘bon fires’ that require a permit from the fire authority having jurisdiction, will not be allowed during Archuleta County fire restrictions.
e. SHOOTING
Shooting tracer rounds or explosive type targets are prohibited.
The use of an explosive initiation system requiring a burning fuse line is prohibited.
f. SMOKING
Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least six feet diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material is NOT authorized during Archuleta County fire restrictions.
EXEMPTIONS during fire restrictions
The items below are approved exemptions during fire restrictions.
a. FIRE
Recreational fires will be limited to appliances fueled by bottled gas, or pressurized liquid fuel, at developed parks, campgrounds, private residences, or picnic area and not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area.
Recreational fires within a permanently constructed fire grate in a developed park, campground, private residence, or picnic area and not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area. DEFINITION: Liquid or Gas-Fueled Appliances such as grills, camp stoves, and Tiki torches that burn liquid or gaseous fuels and can be shut off.
Recreational camp fires will also be limited to burning material other than rubbish or debris where the fuel being burned is not contained in a portable outdoor fireplace or barbeque grill and has a total fuel area of 2ft wide x 2ft long x 2ft high, protected by a permanent fire ring structure and covered by a steel grate, for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth, or similar purposes. This includes fires in barrels and drums; fixed, permanent outdoor fireplaces; and barbeque pit fires.
b. CHAINSAW
Operating a chain saw with a USDA or SAE approved spark arresting device properly installed and in effective working order and having a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than eight (8) ounces capacity by weight, and possessing one large size pointed shovel with an overall length of at least thirty-six (36) inches is allowed during fire restrictions. The extinguisher shall be with the chain saw operator. The shovel may be kept with the fueling supplies, but readily available for quick use.
c. CHARCOAL GRILLS
Charcoal grills use either charcoal briquettes or all-natural lump charcoal as their fuel source. The charcoal, when burned, will transform into embers radiating the heat necessary to cook food.
Charcoal grill fires at private residences or within a permanently constructed fire ring structure covered by a steel grate in a developed park, campground, or picnic area are allowed during fire restrictions.
Charcoal barbeque grills shall not be closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area.
d. CHIMINEAS OR PORTABLE OUTDOOR FIREPLACE
A chiminea or a portable outdoor fireplace at private residences or within a developed park, campground, or picnic area and are not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area and not closer than 15 feet of a structure or combustible material, with covers, screens, spark arresters, and grates is allowed during Archuleta County fire restriction.
DEFINITIONS: A chiminea is a freestanding front-loading fireplace or oven with a bulbous body and usually a vertical smoke vent or chimney.
Fires start very quickly in chimineas after ignition with papers and small pieces of wood. When in full burn after just 15 minutes, they give off tremendous heat due to their design which allows much more air to be drawn in than, for example, a fire basket.
Portable Outdoor Fireplace: A commercially purchased portable, outdoor, solid-fuel-burning fireplace that may be constructed of steel, concrete, clay, or other non-combustible material. A portable outdoor fireplace may be open in design or may be equipped with a small hearth opening and a short chimney or chimney opening at the top. These devices must be operated according to the manufacturers’ instructions with all covers, screens, spark arresters, and grates in place. Portable outdoor fireplaces shall not be operated within 30 feet of a structure or combustible material.
e. HEATING DEVICES
Any fires contained within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices are allowed during fire restrictions.
DEFINITION: Liquid or Gas-Fueled Appliances such as fire pits, grills, camp stoves, and Tiki torches that burn liquid or gaseous fuels and can be shut off. This does not include any device that burns solid fuels such as wood or charcoal and which must be extinguished.
f. PERMIT FIRES
Exemptions approved under these temporary fire restrictions include the following permitted fires:
Permitted fires by persons with a permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act such as professional fireworks displays. Contact must be made with the permitting authority to verify the status of permits issued prior to the establishment of burn restrictions.
Fire Department/District training fires.
Burning of explosive waste by manufacturers of explosives in areas zoned for industrial use, when the burning is supervised by the fire protection district.
Open fires or open burning by any federal, state, or local officer in the performance of official fire suppression functions.
Individuals operating under any of the above exemptions shall take adequate measures to prevent uncontrolled fires. Possible measures include, but are not limited to:
i. Containers of adequate water or dry soil nearby.
ii. Shovels, fire extinguishers, or other extinguishing agents nearby.
iii. Coordination with the local fire department or district to be on scene or standby during an activity
g. TIKI TORCHES
Tiki torches at private residences or within a developed park, campground, or picnic area and are not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area and not closer than 15 feet of a structure or combustible material is allowed during Archuleta County fire restrictions.
DEFINITION: Liquid or Gas-Fueled Appliances such as fire pits, grills, camp stoves, and Tiki torches that burn liquid or gaseous fuels and can be shut off. This does not include any device that burns solid fuels such as wood or charcoal and which must be extinguished.
h. WELDING & CUTTING TORCHES
Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame within an area that is barren or cleared of all combustible material at least 10 feet on all sides from the equipment is allowed during fire restrictions.
Welding and cutting torch appliances, as described below in the definition section, may only be operated in an area no closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area.
DEFINITION: Welding and Cutting Torch Appliances: Gas cylinder mixtures, electric and/or portable powered welders and cutting appliances that produce heat, flame, sparks, molten metal slag, etc.
i. WOOD PELLET GRILLS
Approved wood pellet grills are exempt under these temporary fire restrictions.
j. OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
Oil and gas operations are required to comply with the requirements of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Rules for Fire Prevention and Protection, Rule 606A.
Any gas escaping from a well during drilling operations shall be, so far as practical, conducted to a safe distance from the well site and flammable vegetation, and burned. Operators are also required to notify Archuleta County Combined Dispatch at 970 731-2160 in advance of any flaring when it is anticipated, and in all other cases as soon as possible, but no more than two hours after the flaring has occurred.