Fire season is here, putting several parts of Colorado and the Western United States under fire bans and restrictions. The Sheriff’s Office in Colorado’s Clear Creek County is warning the public that they will and already have be enforcing the Stage 1 Fire Ban that’s currently in effect.
On Monday, June 1st, deputies responded to reports of smoke near the transfer station off Soda Creek Road. They and Clear Creek Fire Authority responded at approximately 4:45pm, finding an illegal slash burn and issuing a court summons to a resident.
There was a fair amount of rain and snow in the area throughout May, but officials make it clear that the county still meets fire restriction criteria. Residents should not assume that the wetter conditions permit open burning.
All slash burns and open fires are banned under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions except for campfires contained within a permanent metal or concrete fire ring or pit in designated campsites on U.S. Forest Service Land. USFS land within Clear Creak County still falls under the same Stage 1 restrictions, and violations can result in a court summons as Monday’s incident demonstrated.
Active restrictions in Clear Creek County are available here, and residents can sign up for direct fire ban alerts at clearcreekcounty.us/list.aspx. The Sheriff’s Office will post additional updates to their social media pages, and restriction signage is posted on roads throughout the county.
With fire season underway throughout the state, Clear Creek County officials urge residents and visitors to verify restriction status before any outdoor burning. This goes for anywhere in the state and anywhere else that might be impacted by the season.
