For Immediate Release: June 13, 2006 |
Contacts: | David Boyd, BLM Public Affairs Specialist (970) 947-2832 |
Fire restrictions begin Thursday on Glenwood Springs BLM
GLENWOOD SPRINGS— Fire restrictions within the Bureau of Land Management Glenwood Springs Field Office begin Thursday, June 15 at 12:01 a.m.
“Much of western Colorado below 8,000 feet is experiencing very high to extreme fire danger, and hot, dry weather is expected to continue,” said Jamie Connell, Glenwood Springs BLM Field Manager.
The Glenwood Springs Field Office includes BLM lands within Eagle and Garfield counties as well as a small amount of land within Pitkin County and southern Routt County.
BLM will be enforcing temporary restrictions of:
- campfires only allowed within designated fire grates in developed campgrounds (fire pans are not acceptable)
- no smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or in a barren area free of vegetation
- no use of explosive materials
- no welding or operation of an acetylene or other similar torch with open flame
- no operation of any internal combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed and in working order
Fireworks are never allowed on federal lands.
“These are Stage 1 fire restrictions,” Connell said. “If hot and dry conditions continue, we will likely move into Stage 2 restrictions, which would mean no campfires, even in developed campgrounds.”
The fire restrictions do not currently apply to the White River National Forest, which manages higher-elevation lands where fire danger is not currently as high. “Although we are not going into fire restrictions on the National Forest at this time, fire danger always exists and we urge the public to be safe with fire,” said Maribeth Gustafson, White River National Forest Supervisor.
Restrictions will be in place until further notice. Violation of fire restrictions is punishable by a fine of not more than $100,000 or imprisonment for not more than 12 months or both.
For more information about fire restrictions on federal lands in these areas, log on to www.fs.fed.us/r2/fire/gjc/restrictions/ or call (970) 947-2800.
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