Full Notification

In a Special Meeting declared by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners, on Wednesday 28th June at 14:00, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions were initiated for areas of Archuleta County West of Hwy 84 and South of Hwy 160.

The Current Fire Restrictions for Archuleta County are as follows: 

Stage 1 Fire Ban:

1.     Fire restrictions are necessary on all private lands in unincorporated areas of Archuleta County south of Highway 160 and west of Highway 84and will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, 2017.

2.     Fire restrictions prohibiting open burning, burn barrels, and agricultural burning in the unincorporated areas of Archuleta County are hereby enacted.  Provided, further, this resolution is not intended to have and force or effect on land owned by the United States Forest Service, or the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

3.     The following acts are prohibited until further notice:
(a)   Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, coal or wood burning stove, any type of charcoal fueled broiler, or open fire of any type in undeveloped areas.  The fire restrictions do not include charcoal fires in suitable containers or gas grills for barbecues at private residences or fires within designated campground pits with protective grates; however, such fires should not be left unattended and should be fully extinguished after use.  The fire restriction also does not include camp stoves, grills, or lights fueled by bottled gas, or pressurized liquid fuel, specifically designed for the purpose of camp cooking or illumination which shall not be left unattended and shall be fully extinguished after use.

(b)  Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, in a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable vegetation. 

(c)   Using explosive material (i.e., fireworks, blasting caps, or any incendiary device which may result in the ignition of flammable material).  The fire restrictions do not include local community fireworks displays that have been, or may be, approved and permitted by the Archuleta Country Sheriff.

(d)   Operating or using any internal combustion engine is prohibited unless it is equipped with a working spark-arresting device.  The device must be properly installed, maintained and must meet either:    Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service Standard 5100-1a; or Appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practice J355(b) and J350(a) 

(e)   The following requirements apply to all welding and cutting operations.  Firefighting hand tools shall be readily available.  During welding, a combination of fire extinguishers with a combined capacity of 40 lbs or a pressurized water supply shall be immediately accessible.  When welding or cutting in an area that a fire may ignite, a person shall be designated as a fire watch.  The area surrounding the work shall be inspected at least one (1) hour after the hot work is completed. 

(f)   Oil and gas operations are required to comply with the requirements of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Rules for Fire Prevention and Protection, Rule 606A.     

(g)   Any gas escaping from a well during drilling operations shall be, so far as practical, conducted to a safe distance from the well site and flammable vegetation, and burned.  Operators are also required to notify Archuleta County Combined Dispatch at 970-731-2160 in advance of any flaring when it is anticipated, and in all other cases as soon as possible, but no more than two hours after the flaring has occurred.

5.  The fire restrictions hereby proclaimed are effective June 29, 2017 at 12:01 am and shall remain in effect until amended or rescinded by the Archuleta County Sheriff or the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners.  

6.  The Sheriff may grant written permission to allow open fires upon request, provided that it is proven to their satisfaction that such exception to the fire restrictions does not constitute a high danger of forest, grass, or other wildland fire; or  

7.  For the year 2017, the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners or the Archuleta County Sheriff may immediately amend, rescind, or instate any fire restrictions within unincorporated Archuleta County with a public statement as to the parameters of the fire restriction.  The fire restriction can be immediately effective.  A discussion of the fire restriction will be promptly scheduled for a regular Board of County Commissioners meeting, at which time; the Board shall either confirm or rescind the said restriction.