BOULDER COUNTY (KDVR) — With hundreds of thousands of acres burning in Colorado right now, Boulder County is taking action.
Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson has enacted Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, effective August 12, for unincorporated areas of western Boulder County.
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The fire restrictions are being implemented due to increasing fire danger, lack of moisture and a forecast for hot temperatures.
The fire restrictions include these areas in unincorporated Boulder County:
- West of CO Highway 93 (CO-93), from its intersection with the southern boundary of Boulder County until, and including, its intersection with CO Highway 119 (CO-119);
- West of Broadway Avenue in the City of Boulder, from its intersection with CO-119 until, and including, its intersection with US Highway 36 (US-36);
- West of US-36, from its intersection with Broadway Avenue until its intersection with the northern boundary of Boulder County;
- West of the western boundary of the Rabbit Mountain Open Space until, and including, US-36; and;
- All the Rabbit Mountain Open Space property.
The fire restrictions prohibit:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using an open fire, campfire, or stove fire on public lands. This includes charcoal barbecues and grills.
- Fireworks sales, use, and possession, including permissible fireworks.
- Shooting or discharge of firearms for recreational purposes on public lands except for hunting with a valid and current hunting license on public lands.
- Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
- Operating a chainsaw or other gas-powered equipment without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher kept with the operator and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.
- Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter and in possession of a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher.
- Using an explosive or doing any kind of blasting work. This includes, but is not limited to, fuses, blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets, tracers, and incendiary ammunition.
- Except on private property.
The fire restrictions will be in effect until the hazardous conditions have subsided…