Both Colorado Springs and El Paso County enacted fire restrictions Monday due to the high risk of fires across the state.
Colorado Springs Fire Marshal Kris Cooper instituted a burn ban for the city at noon, while El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal announced that Stage 2 fire restrictions would take effect at 1 p.m. Monday.
The city decision cited the extended war
m and dry conditions that increase the risk for fast-moving fires in Colorado Springs. The announcement said the ban also reflects the demand on the state’s firefighting resources from the Snyder Mesa fire in Mesa County and multiple other fires across Colorado.
Federal authorities on Monday identified the three firefighters who died Saturday responding to the Knowles fire at the Colorado-Utah border. The Snyder Mesa fire merged with the Jones, Knowles and Gore fires.
“Even a single spark can quickly become a dangerous wildfire under current conditions,” the burn ban announcement stated.
The Colorado Springs ban prohibits outdoor fires and cooking, recreational campfires and smoking in city parks and open spaces. During the ban, the city will also stop issuing permits for bonfires and model rockets and require permits for outdoor activities such as welding and blasting.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and Fire Chief Randy Royal will hold a news conference Tuesday morning to warn residents about the risks of illegal fireworks shows heading into the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Roybal said in the county’s announcement of Stage 2 fire restrictions that the risk in the Pikes Peak area has “increased significantly” and the decision was made in partnership with several other local fire district chiefs.
The fire restrictions prohibit all open burnings in El Paso County unless they are indoors or are appliances that rely on liquid fuels, such as propane or natural gas. Outdoor smoking and the use of explosives are also banned under the heightened restrictions.
According to the release, firework sales and use are not restricted in El Paso County unless the Board of County Commissioners pass a separate resolution to limit them.
Also, the Bureau of Land Management’s Rocky Mountain District Office in Canon City implemented a Stage 2 fire restriction, according to a news release. The restrictions apply to the Royal Gorge and San Luis Valley field offices, which include all BLM-administered public lands within the boundaries of Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Huerfano, Jefferson, Kiowa, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mineral, Morgan, Otero, Park, Powers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, Sedgwick, Teller, Washington, Weld, and Yuma counties.