STAGE 2 FIRE RESTRICTIONS – NO OPEN BURNING ALLOWED
Beginning Friday, August 15, at 10 am, Town of Lake City and Northern Hinsdale County will be under Stage 2 Fire Restrictions. This action follows Gunnison National Forest and Bureau of Land Management implementing Stage 2 restrictions at midnight August 14. Gunnison County is also going into Stage 2 restrictions on Friday.
Currently Southern Hinsdale County is also in Stage 2, following actions of the San Juan National Forest. The Rio Grande area of Hinsdale County – in the center of Hinsdale County – has no fire restrictions at this time.
Northern Hinsdale County includes everything north of the Continental Divide/ Spring Creek Pass. This includes the Alpine Loop and all Lake City area campgrounds. Southern Hinsdale County includes everything south of the Continental Divide at Weminuche Wilderness/Upper Piedra area
Prohibited:
- Igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, including fires on private property and in developed recreation sites (campgrounds and picnic areas), charcoal grills and barbecues, coal and wood burning stoves, and sheepherder’s stoves.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, trailer, or building.
- Blasting, welding, or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
- Operating or using any internal combustion engine without an effective and properly installed USDA- or Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)- approved spark arrestor.
- Operating a chainsaw without an effective and properly installed USDA- or SAE- approved spark arrestor, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher (with a minimum of 8 oz. capacity and rating of 2A)kept with the operator and a round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.
- Using an explosive. This includes but is not limited to fuses, blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets, tracers, and incendiary ammunition.
- 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.
Allowed:
- Portable or permanent gas-fueled grills or stoves, powered by propane, natural gas, or other pressurized liquid fuels—as long as they have a shut-off valve.
