John Scarffe, Peak to Peak. Counties in the Peak to Peak region on the front range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains have implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions. Boulder, Gilpin and Jefferson counties have moved up to Stage 2 in July 2020 due to increasing fire danger, lack of moisture and the forecast for hot temperatures.

Nederland Fire Department Captain Eric Abramson said earlier bans were about the Covid-19 virus, but the current ban is all about the conditions when everything starts drying out. Campfires remain the biggest concern.

A lot of people have been coming up to the area to get out of their homes and the recreations trail heads have been busy. They have seen a lot of illegal fires, Abramson said. 

People in the woods need to be mindful, and if you see something say something. The area is still in drought conditions. On windy days, people have to be extra cautious and follow the restrictions, he said.

Timberline Fire Protection District Chief Paul Ondr agreed that the biggest concern is campfires. On Saturday, July 8, they had a small fire by the Gilpin County Schools.

It was an escaped campfire that had been inappropriately extinguished. Timberline firefighters spent four hours with federal partners to extinguish the fire, Ondr said. “Certainly, a fair number of people are choosing to ignore the bans.

“It comes in waves,” Ondr said. “We will have several in one evening and then nothing.” 

The Timberline Fire Protection District provides all hazard protection to both Gilpin and Boulder Counties. The district spans the Peak to Peak Scenic Highway between the cities of Black Hawk and Nederland providing services for more than 173 square miles between at more than 9, 000 feet above sea level. For more information about Timberline, go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/timberlinefire/about-us-56.

Ondr said their second biggest concern is shooting. They don’t generally see problems with regular bullets, but they do with exploding targets or tracer rounds. They have seen a decrease, and maybe the word has gotten out on that. 

Another concern is that it’s dry, Ondr said. They look at a weather station in Pickle Gulch, which updates the moisture content. Lack of moisture is very high to extreme in the trees with some dead trees and a seven to eight percent moisture content, with everything below eight percent considered dry. Some moisture is predicted but Ondr he didn’t see a chance of extended rains that will do any good. 

In Boulder County, Sheriff Joe Pelle enacted Level 2 Fire Restrictions at noon on Friday, July 10, for western Boulder County. In addition to the weather conditions, Pelle is still concerned about the firefighting and law enforcement resources with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and taking proactive measures to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents and first responders.

Mountain areas include any and all unincorporated areas of the county west of Highway 93, from its intersection with the southern boundary of Boulder County until, and including, its intersection with Highway 119; west of Broadway Avenue in the City of Boulder, from its intersection with Highway 119 until, and including, its intersection with U.S. Highway 36; west of U.S. 36, from its intersection with Broadway Avenue until its intersection with the northern boundary of Boulder County; west of the western boundary of the Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain until, and including, US-36; and; all of the Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain property.

The fire ban prohibits building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire on private and public lands. This includes charcoal grills and barbecues, coal and wood burning stoves and sheepherder’s stoves and includes use in developed camping and picnic grounds; fireworks sales, use, and possession, including permissible fireworks; shooting or discharge of firearms for recreational purposes; smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials; operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher kept with the operator and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use. 

The ban also prohibits using an explosive, which includes but is not limited to fuses or blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets, and tracers or incendiary ammunition; welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame outdoors; possessing or using a motor vehicle off established roads, motorized trails or established parking areas, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the vehicle.

The fire ban allows smoking in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials; devices using pressurized liquid or gas (stoves, grills or lanterns) that include shut-off valves are permitted when used in an area at least three feet or more from flammable material such as grasses or pine needles; shooting or discharge of firearms for hunting, with a valid and current hunting license on public lands; operating a chainsaw with a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher kept with the operator and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.

For current fire, shooting and developed recreation site restrictions and seasonal closures for USFS properties, visit: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/arp/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd533597. Anyone found in violation of the fire ban may be convicted of a class two petty offense and may be subject to up to a $1,000 fine, in addition to any possible civil penalties. 

Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses. The fire restrictions will be in effect until Sheriff Pelle finds that the hazardous conditions have subsided.

Gilpin County stated in comments about its Fire Ban Stage 2 that no open burning of any kind will be allowed anywhere in Gilpin County. This includes recreational fires, bon fires, slash piles, charcoal grills and agricultural burning regardless of location. 

Only liquid gas or propane fueled cooking stoves will be allowed for outdoor use. The Sheriff is authorized to establish restrictions and bans for burning on days that have been designated fire weather watch days, red flag warning days, high wind watch days and high wind warning days. 

These days are determined by the National Weather Service using Fire Weather Zone Forecast data for zones 212, 215 and 216 https://www.weather.gov/bou/firewxfcstmap. A wood burning stove may be used as long as it is contained within a permanent structure.

Chief Ondr said that at first the ban included natural gas or propane fire pits, but after lengthy discussion, they passed an amendment to allow those and put them more in alignment with Boulder and Jefferson counties.

Failure to comply with this order is subject to penalties including a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment in the County jail for up to 18 months. Any person violating the fire ban causing a fire would be liable for the actual damages to anyone injured including personal or real property damage or loss of life and the costs to any fire department, district or other emergency responders or resources responding to the incident. Costs of fighting fire can easily exceed $1 million in the first day alone. For more information including definition of terms, go to https://www.gilpincountysheriff.com/firerestrictions

Jefferson County implemented Stage Two Fire Restrictions due to the County’s geographic makeup, and wildfire is a more potent threat during droughts or dry spells. Rainfall and cooler temperatures may reduce the danger of wildfire, but people are encouraged to be vigilant as the danger of fire is always present in the high country. 

The risk is even greater when under a fire weather watch or red flag warning, according to the restrictions statement. Citizens should use caution when starting and extinguishing campfires, disposing of lighted cigarettes and other activities that involve the use of fire or sparks. Information about what is prohibited and allowed during a fire ban can be found on the fire ban detail webpage at https://www.jeffco.us/528/Fire-Ban-Details.

(Originally published in the July 23, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)