EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – Sheriff Joseph Roybal reinstated Stage 1 fire restrictions for unincorporated El Paso County Wednesday afternoon.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office originally implemented Stage I Fire Restrictions on Dec. 17, after meteorologists forecasted high wind speeds and elevated fire danger in southern Colorado.
The sheriff’s office lifted the fire restrictions Dec. 24, but encouraged residents to continue to exercise caution.
Roybal reinstated the restrictions for Unincorporated El Paso County on Wednesday, and they are set to go into effect at 1 p.m.
Once Stage I Fire Restrictions are in effect, the following activities are prohibited by statute:
Open burning, with exceptions for fires and campfires within permanently constructed fire grates in developed campgrounds and picnic grounds; charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves at private residences in areas cleared (three feet distance) of all flammable materials.The use of any fireworks without a professional display permit, outdoor pyrotechnics such as explosive targets, or model rockets.Wednesday night’s fireworks event by the AdAmAn Club is authorized by permit.Outdoor smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter, barren or cleared of all flammable materials.Welding or operating an acetylene or similar torch with an open flame is prohibited except in an area cleared of vegetation.No internal combustion engine operation without a spark-arresting device properly installed and in working order.Prescribed burns: any previously issued permits for such burns are revoked.
“I will evaluate conditions weekly and reassess the need to keep the restrictions in place, but for the near future, the residents of El Paso County can expect the restrictions to remain in place until moisture levels improve,” Roybal said.
Copyright 2025 KKTV. All rights reserved.