Archuleta County announced Wednesday morning that Stage 1 fire restrictions are now in effect for unincorporated Archuleta County, effective at 9 a.m. and will continue until further notice.

The resolution approving the fire restrictions states the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners “has received competent evidence that there exists a high danger of forest, grass or other wildland fires within the unincorporated areas of Archuleta County” and that “the Archuleta County Sheriff and the Fire Chiefs of the County’s Fire Protection Districts have requested that the Board impose Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for all private lands in unincorporated areas of Archuleta County.”

The town, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, San Juan National Forest, Rio Grande National Forest are also in the process of considering or instituting fire restrictions. For more on those agencies and the restrictions, see the May 19 issue of The SUN.

“Fire restrictions prohibiting open burning, burn barrels, and agricultural burning in the unincorporated areas of Archuleta County are hereby enacted,” the resolution states. “Provided, further, this resolution is not intended to have any force or effect on land owned by the United States Forest Service or the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.”

The resolution explains the criteria for Stage 1 fire restrictions is laid out in the “2018 Southwest Annual Operating Plan” and the “Southwest Colorado Fire Danger Operating Plan.”

Per the resolution, the following acts are prohibited until further notice.

• 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 except for certain listed exemptions.

• Burn permits issued shall not be authorized during the fire restriction period.

• “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.”

 Fireworks is defined in section 12-28-101(3) of the Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS) and “shall specifically include ‘permissible fireworks’ as defined in section 12-28-101(8) C.R.S.”

• 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.

• “Shooting tracer rounds or explosive type targets are prohibited. The use of an explosive initiation system requiring a burning fuse line is prohibited.”

• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least 6 feet diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material is not authorized during Archuleta County fire restrictions.

The following acts are approved exemptions during fire restrictions:

• Recreational fires will be limited to appliances fueled by bottled gas or pressurized liquid fuel at developed parks, campgrounds, private residences or picnic areas 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.

 The resolution explains, “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 2 ft wide x 2 ft long x 2 ft 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.”

• “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.”

• 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.

• 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 restrictions. 

• Any fires contained within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices are allowed during fire restrictions.

This does not include any device that burns solid fuels such as wood or charcoal and which must be extinguished.

• Exemptions approved under this temporary fire restriction includes the following permitted fires: permitted fires by persons with a permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act such as professional firework displays, fire department/district training fires, burning of explosive wastes 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.

• 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.

• 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 in the definition section, may only be operated in an area no closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area.

• Approved wood pellet grills are exempt under these temporary fire restrictions.

• 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.

The resolution adds, “The Sheriff may grant written permission to allow open fires upon request, provided that it is proven to their satisfaction that such exception to the fire restrictions does not constitute a high danger of forest, grass, or other wildland fire.”

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