Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker has imposed Stage One Fire Restrictions across all unincorporated areas of Fremont County. The Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution at their April 12th meeting putting a fire ban in place due to the continued dry and windy conditions across southeastern Colorado. The spring drought has resulted in a number of wildland fires being ignited, particularly across the grasslands of eastern Colorado.
With approval of the resolution by the commissioners, Sheriff Beicker announced that Stage One fire restrictions would be in place. Activities prohibited under Stage One restrictions include:
- All open fires, open burning and smoking;
- All agricultural burning including but not limited to weeds, brush, grass;
- Use and/or discharge of fireworks or pyrotechnic devices,
- Use of any explosives;
- Open fires using rock ring burn pits;
- Recreational below ground cooking;
- Outdoor smoking including discard of cigarette butts at any location or from any vehicle.
For a complete list of activities prohibited and permitted under Stage One restrictions, click on the Fire Ban status link on the county’s home web page at www.fremontco.com.
If conditions worsen the Sheriff would have the authority to impose an even stricter ban under Stage Two or Stage Three fire restrictions. Drought conditions arrived much earlier this year. A year ago the county did not enact a fire ban until late June following the Parkdale Canyon fire on the rim of the Royal Gorge.