Buena Vista Police, Colorado

06/24/2026

IMPORTANT--Effective June 24th at 6:00 AM we will be at STAGE II Fire Restrictions...Per Section 7-181 of the Town of Buena Vista Municipal code "At such time as the Fire Chief determines that a high fire danger exists, the Fire Chief shall declare the existence of a high fire danger and announce the imposition of restrictions on open fires and open burning."

Fire Chief Jones has declared that in conjunction with the Chaffee County Sheriff the Town of Buena Vista will enter Stage 2 Fire Restrictions as of Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 at 6:00 AM until further notice. 🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸

Effective June 24th, 2026, at 6:00AM unincorporated Chaffee County will be moving to stage 2 fire restrictions. BLM and Federal Forest will remain in stage 1 fire restrictions for the time being. Stage 2 restrictions will also be in place for the municipalities of Buena Vista, Poncha Springs and Salida.

During stage 2 fire restrictions no open fire may be built, maintained or attended in Chaffee County. No campfires of any kind, even in permanent structures, are allowed. Also prohibited is using explosive material such as exploding targets, tracer rounds, fireworks, blasting caps or any incendiary device that may result in the ignition of flammable material. No smoking is allowed outdoors unless you are in an area at least twelve feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. No welding, grinding metal or operating an acetylene or similar torch with an open flame is allowed unless you are in an area of at least 20 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

LP gas or liquid-fueled barbecue stoves and appliances which allow the operator to turn the flame on and off are still allowed during stage 2 fire restrictions. The use of chainsaws is allowed if they have an adequate spark-arresting screen. Using a chainsaw during stage 2 also requires the operator to have with him or her a chemical-pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight and has readily available for use a size 0 or larger round pointed shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.

Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies will be out in full force enforcing the restrictions in place. The deputies are being instructed to be firm with their enforcement efforts. Please call Chaffee County Dispatch at 719-539-2596 to report any violations.

“Stage 2 fire restrictions will be in place through the 4th of July weekend. I have instructed our deputies to have zero tolerance with violators using fireworks. The fine for such violation during stage 2 restrictions is $750.00. We encourage our community and visitors to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence but please do so responsibly. Let’s all work together to keep our county safe and beautiful!” -Sheriff Andy Rohrich (Chaffee County Fire Warden)

06/18/2026

BVPD, AMERICA 250 COLORING CONTEST! Hey kids, to celebrate America's 250th birthday this July 4th, we're hosting a coloring contest with our BVPD patch.

To participate: You can save the below image to a Word document and print it, or stop by the BVPD and pick up a paper copy. Turn in your entry to the BVPD during business hours by the end of the day on July 2nd. You can also mail in your entry to Buena Vista Police Department, P.O. Box 1310 Buena Vista, CO 81211 (if you mail in an entry, be sure to include a name and phone number). Entries will be judged by our officers, and entries will be broken into age groups (ages 2-5, 6-11, and 12-17). First, second, and third place winners will be selected by our offices from each age group, and an overall winner. The overall winner's entry will be displayed as our FB page logo through the month of July, as well as tickets to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day when it releases at the end of July. Second and third-place winners will receive gift cards to local ice cream establishments.

Our judges will give special consideration to patriotic themes to celebrate America 250. Feel free to call with any questions at (719) 395-8654. Have fun, and have a safe and happy 4th of July!
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06/18/2026

Please join us in keeping a watchful eye on this beautiful valley and our communities. If you see something suspicious, be sure to report it.

On Sunday, June 14th, 2026, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an attempted arson west of Clear Creek Reservoir along County Road 390 in Chaffee County. The attempt was made on unposted private property heavily bordered by National Forest.

While performing routine patrol National Forest Service firefighters discovered multiple trees that had been burned in this area. The fire was no longer active. They then notified the Chaffee County Fire Department (because it was on private property) who reached out to our detective’s bureau to handle the investigation.

Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Detective’s responded to the area with other investigative resources. Based on the initial investigation it appeared that an unknown person(s) attempted to purposely start a forest fire. An accelerant (most likely gasoline) was used on and near two separate trees and that accelerant was possibly utilized to cause a burn to a third tree where a clear plastic beverage container was suspended from the limb of that third tree. Inside the beverage container was a large amount of accelerant. Fortunately, the fire had burned itself out before reaching the bottle of accelerant.

Detectives with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office are actively investigating the incident with other law enforcement partners to identify a possible suspect. If you have any information concerning this investigation please call the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center, 719-539-2596, and ask to speak to a detective.

“We are asking the community and our visitors to please be vigilant while enjoying our back country. If you see suspicious activity/ person(s) please do your best to document license plates, pictures, etc. without placing yourself in danger and notify law enforcement. This is behavior we obviously have zero tolerance for and we will use all resources available to us to protect life and property. To whomever is responsible, rethink your motives and please consider all the innocence you are placing in danger.”
-Sheriff Andy Rohrich

06/17/2026

We have received several calls about a suspicious white truck with yellow flashing lights driving around at late hours of the night. We have confirmation from Atmos Energy that this is a company they have contracted with and they are doing testing for leaks and will be driving slow and have flashing lights on the truck. Thank you for your concern and keeping our town safe!

06/09/2026

We're so excited for America's big 250 in the coming weeks! As this important anniversary approaches, we're already getting complaints of illegal fireworks. We want people to have a great time during this celebration, but please do it legally and safely. Especially in this year with severe concerns over fire dangers, a reckless celebration could turn disastrous.

Here's some information on fireworks. First of all, as a general rule, don't use any sort of firework during a fire ban or red flag warning. Check our social media pages or call Chaffee County Communications at (719) 539-2596 to see what restrictions may be in effect.

Colorado Revised Statute 12-28-101 defines all sorts of devices and fireworks, to include permissible fireworks (things like cone fountains, ground spinners, snakes, sparklers, etc.). Illegal fireworks are those which explode and/or leave the ground, such as firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman Candles, aerials, mortars, missiles, and other similar items. These items are not legal for either sale or use within the State of Colorado. Using and possessing illegal fireworks will usually result in a summons to court and seizure of the illegal items.

If you have questions or concerns, be sure to call the BVPD at (719) 395-8654. Please help us keep our beautiful valley and town safe this 4th of July season. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

06/09/2026

Per Section 7-181 of the Town of Buena Vista Municipal code "At such time as the Fire Chief determines that a high fire danger exists, the Fire Chief shall declare the existence of a high fire danger and announce the imposition of restrictions on open fires and open burning."

Fire Chief Jones has declared that in conjunction with the Chaffee County Sheriff the Town of Buena Vista will enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions as of Tuesday June 9th, 2026 until further notice.

Effective Tuesday, June 9th, 2026, at 6:00AM Chaffee County will move back into stage 1 fire restrictions for all unincorporated Chaffee County including all municipalities. The Forest Service will not yet be joining us with restrictions so federal lands within the county are not yet under restrictions. For a list of what is allowed during stage 1 restrictions please go to our website https://chaffeecounty.org/departments/sheriff/fire_restrictions.php.

“The north end of our county did not recover as well as we had hoped with the recent moisture. The south end did green up with recent moisture which will help limit growth of any potential fire. However, we just did not get the moisture that was predicted after we last lifted restrictions. Parts of the north end of our county are in exceptional drought which is the highest the scale goes. The rest of our county is in extreme or severe drought. Fire science based on the availability and condition of fire fuels along with weather patterns are a huge determining factor when we make these decisions. Our local fire fighter partners are also consulted so that we make educated decisions that are difficult. This is a year unlike most and unfortunately, we must play with the deck mother nature dealt us. We sympathize with businesses and the agriculture community that need fire to operate but we owe it to our community to make Chaffee County as safe as we can without exception.” -Sheriff Andy Rohrich (Chaffee County Fire Warden).

Please continue to use extreme caution. Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies will be out enforcing restrictions. Please call us if you observe any violations.

-Sheriff Andy Rohrich

06/03/2026

Great work CCSO partners! 👏👏

On June 1st, 2026, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a theft call at a business in Buena Vista, CO. The owner of the business reported a large amount of scrap metal that had been stolen. It was further reported that the suspect had been captured on security camera at the business and had also attempted to break into the business on other occasions.

The investigating deputy, Dylan Baker, immediately put out a BOLO (Be On Look Out) including the surveillance photos of the suspect, to local law enforcement asking for their assistance locating and identifying the suspect. The suspect was unknown to law enforcement at the time.

A few hours later the suspect was located by Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Commander Jesse Cortese at a gas station in Buena Vista. A team of deputies and officers were assembled, and the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect was identified as Blake Simmonds, aged 32 from Broomfield, CO.

During the investigation Simmonds was suspected of being under the influence of drugs. Also found in his possession were approximately 3.69 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 1.8 grams of suspected he**in, a suspected L*D tab and 32.44 grams of suspected methadone in a prescription bottle not subscribed to Simmonds.

Simmonds was also wanted out of Boulder, CO on a $200,000.00 bond warrant for possession of controlled substances, burglary and criminal mischief over $1,000,000.00.

Simmonds was transported to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center where he was held on a $2,000.00 bond for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs/ Alcohol (class 1 traffic misdemeanor), Possession of an Open Alcohol Container in a Motor Vehicle (class A traffic infraction), Possession of an Open Ma*****na Container in a Motor Vehicle (class A traffic infraction), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (drug petty offense), Two Counts of Possession of Less Than 4 Grams of a Schedule One or Two Controlled Substance (class 1 drug misdemeanors) and Possession of a Class 1 or 2 Controlled Substance (more than 4 grams/ class 4 drug felony). Simmonds is also being held on the $200,000.00 bond warrant for a total of $202,000.00 bond.

On June 2nd, 2026, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit developed enough probable cause to get a search warrant to search property near Johnson’s Village (Chaffee County/ base of Trout Creek Pass) where Simmonds had allegedly been staying. During the search, Detectives recovered all the stolen property from the business who had made the report the day before.

Additional charges are anticipated soon. Simmonds is presumed innocent until/unless proven guilty in a court of law.

-Sheriff Andy Rohrich

05/23/2026

This Memorial Day, the men and women of the BVPD honor and remember the men and women of America's military who gave their lives for our freedom. Though Memorial Day is often seen as a time of celebration and the kickoff for summer, it feels odd to say, "Happy Memorial Day," when this day is also a time of reflection. For many who have lost loved ones in service to our country, it is also a time of loss and sorrow. As you head into this weekend, take a moment to remember and honor the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms we have in this great country.

"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go." --from a poem by Major Michael Davis Oconnel, KIA, Vietnam

05/18/2026

There was some police and fire activity on N. Colorado Ave. this morning when something in the bed of a trash truck caught on fire. It is not known what caused the fire, though lithium ion batteries are suspected. Chaffee County Fire got there quickly and knocked down the flames, and Buena Vista Public Works did a great job of helping to clean up a lot of the trash and debris that had to be offloaded, as well as putting down dirt and sweeping the street afterwards. Fortunately there were no injuries. 🇺🇸