05/13/2022
Custer County Fire Restrictions: STAGE 2
Beginning May 13, 2022 at 12:01 AM Custer County will elevate the fire restrictions from Stage 1 to Stage 2. The undersheriff and the fire protection district chiefs have conferred with the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forrest Service about the growing fire conditions in Custer County. The conditions with the lack of winter and spring precipitation and the wind events are creating a great risk of a severe wildland fire in our county.
In an attempt to mitigate this the undersheriff has elevated the fire restriction from Stage 1 to Stage 2 county wide. Please see the limitations of Stage1& 2 listed below.
STAGE I RESTRICTIONS: Prohibit the following activities:
A. Open burning, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, or campfire, charcoal grills, pellet grills, and wood or coal burning stoves or fireplaces in undeveloped areas. Areas cleared of all flammable materials, and those within permanently constructed fire grates or developed campgrounds and picnic grounds are excepted as noted in Section 9 (Unlawful Acts).
A. Campfires and gas fire pits contained in constructed permanent fire pits or fire grates within a developed recreation area shall be allowed.
A. Grills using propane, pellets, and other bottled fuels shall be allowed, but only in areas free of flammable vegetation and other flammable materials, and such fires must be used and maintained in such a manner that no fire danger is presented to the surrounding area.
A. All open fires allowed by subparagraphs (B) and (C) above must be attended at all times, and an adequate water supply and/or a fire extinguisher shall be on site at all times while such an open fire is burning.
A. All burning of trash, refuse or debris shall be temporarily suspended.
A. Smoking shall be temporarily suspended except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or outdoor smoking area that is hard-surfaced or barren or otherwise cleared of all flammable vegetation or material. Discarding smoking materials in a receptacle not designed for disposal of smoking materials, discarding smoking materials from a moving or stationary motor vehicle, and discarding smoking materials in any other outdoor location is expressly prohibited at all times.
A. The use of explosive materials including fireworks, solid fuel rockets, blasting caps, or any other incendiary device which may result in the ignition of flammable materials shall be temporarily suspended.
A. Outdoor welding, grinding, or use of any type of torch in any area which presents the possibility of igniting vegetation or other combustible material shall be temporarily suspended unless there is an adequate water supply and/or fire extinguisher on site.
A. Operating any outdoor equipment or machinery with an internal combustion engine in an undeveloped area shall be temporarily suspended unless said equipment or machinery is equipped with a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in good working order.
A. The sale, possession and use of fireworks, including permissible fireworks as defined in C.R.S.
ยง30-15-401(l)(n.7).
STAGE II RESTRICTIONS: Prohibit the following activities:
All the prohibited activities set forth in the Stage I Fire Ban shall be in effect and, in addition, the following restrictions shall also be in effect:
A. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, coal-burning or wood- burning stove, charcoal-fueled or wood-fueled cooking, or other open fires of any type at any location shall be temporarily suspended.
A. Grills using propane, pellets, or other bottled fuels shall be allowed only in areas free of flammable vegetation and other flammable materials and must be used in a manner which presents no fire danger to the surrounding area. Portable stoves, gas grills, and propane gas devices are still permitted on forest land. Aka - propane fire pits with on/off valves.
A. No grill in use shall be left unattended, and there shall be an adequate water supply and/or a fire extinguisher on site during such use.
A. Use of a coal-burning or wood -burning stove or fireplace in a private residence shall be allowed only if the flue pipe, chimney, or other exhaust structure is equipped with a properly installed NFPA*-approved spark arrestor such as a chimney cap.
A. Off-road use or parking of a motor vehicle in an area which presents the possibility of sparks or exhaust heat igniting surrounding flammable vegetation shall be temporarily suspended during the period of time a Stage II Fire Ban is in effect.
Please keep in mind the USFS and BLM have not elevated their restrictions from Stage 1 as of today. They may elevate in the near future.
Robert Hill
Undersheriff, Custer County
