No reduction planned with burning restrictions
Rick Langenberg
The current weather conditions in our region are ideal for golfers, hikers, picnickers and leaf-peppers.
But they are outright dangerous for emergency service agencies, fire departments and many rural homeowners, and so the ban continues against open fires and many burning activities.
With Teller’s insurgence of an Indian summer this fall, and mercury levels that have set new records down the Pass, elected officials are showing no signs of relinquishing a Stage 1 fire ban, enacted earlier this month.
Fire bans are not unusual in Teller County. But these restrictions usually don’t occur in October, as the tourist season comes to a conclusion and many fall travelers enjoy the last few weeks of camping in the high country.
However, an extended period without any moisture, and occasional high winds with frequent red flag warnings, has escalated the danger.
The Teller County commissioners, via an emergency meeting handled by a joint telephone conference, enacted a Stage1 ban on Oct. 3. And in the last week, prominent warning signs, posted along major highways, have been displayed visibly through electronic billboards. These messages are often designed for those non-local travelers, who are unfamiliar with fire restrictions and current conditions in Colorado.
Stage 1 restrictions, though, are the least restrictive. They don’t impact outdoor smoking, contained campfires in designated areas and fueled appliances, located at least 10 feet away from combustible materials. In addition, it does permit the use of charcoal grills, as long as proper safety steps are taken.
But the ban outlaws open burning, such as campfires, fireworks, explosives and model rockets and relying on burn permits.
In their resolution, the commissioners cited the current dry conditions and “a significant lack of firefighting resources.” That latter reason is a biggie, according to local officials. They mention the fact that dangerous, catastrophic fires across the West have put a strain on normal defense measures needed to battle flames in Teller County.
On the upside, no serious fires have ignited in the last week. But this was not the case previously. The Teller County border areas got hit by three fires within a several week period, one of which grew to about 95 acres. No structures, though, were threatened.
Regardless, this signaled a fire alert bell.
A similar fire ban resolution was approved in El Paso County.
These bans come on the tail end of the fall foliage season, as the roads are often packed with travelers viewing the changing leaves of columns of aspen trees. This year, Teller County experienced record traffic for recreation-goers during the weekend.
This traffic level comes with mixed blessings for law enforcement officials.
As noted by El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal, “El Paso County is a beautiful place to enjoy the colorful fall season, and by working together, we can prevent dangerous wildfires from devastating our community.”
If the fire dangers increase, both counties could embark on Stage 2 restrictions, which outlaw smoking outdoors and using charcoal grills. The last phase is Stage 3, but this level, which shuts down virtually all outdoor recreational areas, is rarely enacted.
