Due to dry conditions, little to no predicted moisture, and persistent gusty winds, Unincorporated Chaffee County will move into Stage 1 Fire Restrictions effective Friday, April 29th.
Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit building, maintaining or attending any open fire.
Excluded from Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, therefore still allowed in this stage are:
- Campfires within a permanent constructed ring or fire grate, 3 feet in diameter maximum, in a developed public campground, public picnic ground, commercial campground, or on private property. An example of a permanently constructed ring would be a cement ring that is not movable. Rocks lining a fire pit are not considered permanent and therefore in violation.
- Propane gas or liquid fueled stoves that allow the operator to turn the appliance on or off.
- Fireplaces within enclosed buildings equipped with fire screens on the flue.
- Charcoal grill fires at private residences.
This fire ban also prohibits the burning of debris piles, slash piles, ditches and agricultural lands.
This fire ban applies to all unincorporated areas within Chaffee County but does not include the incorporated municipalities of Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs. It also does not include any federal land under Forest Service or BLM jurisdiction.
This Stage 1 Fire Restriction also includes the incorporated Town of Buena Vista. Due to the fact that Chaffee Fire now provides fire services to the Town of Buena Vista Chaffee County Fire Restrictions will be applicable to the Town of Buena Vista.
A reminder that all BLM lands in Chaffee County are currently under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions as well. Forest Service lands have no restrictions at this time.
