La Plata County enacts Stage 2 Fire Restrictions

The Fire Chiefs from all 4 Fire Protection Districts within La Plata County have requested implementation of Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, citing current fuel and fire science monitoring, which detail conditions for easy ignition and rapid growth and spread potential of a wildland fire. Current drought conditions in Southwest Colorado remain moderate to severe, along with projections for continued hot, dry, and windy conditions with no significant precipitation.

Additionally, there remains a significant concern that a rapidly expanding incident could strain the limits of our local and regional resources. State and Federal aviation and personnel resources remain in the region, but are always subject to be drawn away should other areas start to experience an increase in fire activity.

In the interest of public health, safety and welfare, the La Plata County Sheriff is enacting Stage II fire restrictions effective Friday, June 26 in the unincorporated areas of La Plata County and upon all lands owned by La Plata County, excluding those private lands in the Towns of Bayfield and Ignacio, the City of Durango, or any Federal or Tribal lands.

Stage II fire restrictions prohibit the following activities:

• Open burning, burn barrels and agricultural burning except for the very limited agricultural burning as provided for in C.R.S. 30-15-401(n.5)(III) and defined in C.R.S. 35-28-104(11).
• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, stove fire, including but not limited to charcoal grills, coal or wood burning stoves, or sheepherder's stoves, unless the specific device uses pressurized liquid or gas and includes a shut-off valve (such as a gas grill). Pellet smokers are allowed on private property if they meet the criteria of:
• • A 20-foot radius safe zone free of vegetation and all flammable materials, and
  • Must have an enclosed firebox/ignition/smoke combustion chamber

• Indoor fireplaces or wood-burning stoves with an approved interior and exterior chimney spark arrestor
• Smoking, unless within an enclosed vehicle, trailer, or building, or while stopped in an area that is at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable vegetation.
• Welding, pipefitting, metal grinding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame unless the following requirements are met:
• Written authorization of the appropriate fire chief or the Sheriff of La Plata County, whomever has jurisdiction or
• A 20-foot radius safe zone free of vegetation and all flammable materials, and
• One (1) 2 ½ gallon pressurized fire extinguisher or a 5lb. ABC extinguisher or a pressurized water supply and proper hand tools must be readily available, and
• In addition to the equipment operator, a fire watch individual on-site to watch for fires. And handle fire extinguishing equipment listed above.
• Discharging of firearms, unless the circumstances described in C.R.S. 30-15-302 and
• Written authorization of the appropriate fire chief or the Sheriff of La Plata County, whomever has jurisdiction or
• A 20-foot radius safe zone free of vegetation and all flammable materials, and
• One (1) 2 ½ gallon pressurized fire extinguisher or a 5lb. ABC extinguisher or a pressurized water supply and proper hand tools must be readily available, and
• In addition to the firearm operator, a fire watch individual on-site to watch for fires. And handle fire extinguishing equipment listed above.
• Oil and gas welding and cutting operations, which are required to comply with the requirements of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Rules for Fire Prevention and Production, Rule 606A(o), may only be conducted within a 20-foot radius safe zone that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials, and
• Operating or using any internal combustion engine, including but not limited to chainsaws, generators and all-terrain vehicles, unless equipped with a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order meeting either Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Standard 5100-1a or Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practice J335 and J350; and
• Operating a chainsaw, unless a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight is in the operator's immediate vicinity, and one size 0 or larger round, pointed shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches is with fueling supplies and is readily available; and
• Using an explosive, including but not limited to fireworks, blasting caps, or any other incendiary device. Blasting in development areas or construction areas with continuous fire watch may be permitted with written authorization of the appropriate fire chief or the Sheriff of La Plata County, whoever has jurisdiction; and
• Flaring for oil and gas production wells and production facilities may be allowed with the approval from the designated fire chief (or his designee) for that district, or in the event no fire district exists for the location of the proposed flaring, the La Plata County Director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM Director). Any flaring from established gas processing plants or facilities is exempted.

The restrictions give Sheriff Sean Smith and the fire chiefs of the local fire districts flexibility to ease restrictions within their jurisdictions if they determine such actions are safe, appropriate, and prudent in their professional judgment.

Any person who violates declared fire restrictions commits a Class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) for a first offense, seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750.00) for a second offense and one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for a third and subsequent offense, in addition to any restitution, as defined in C.R.S. § 18-1.3-602(3), including but not limited to the costs of fire suppression or property damage caused by the violation.

The La Plata County fire response agencies will continue to monitor the situation and if the conditions continue to deteriorate, a more restrictive fire ban may be implemented. The fire restrictions will remain in effect until such time as the threat of fire danger in La Plata County has reduced significantly, as determined by the Sheriff and the Chiefs of the local fire districts.