On recommendation by the Larimer County Sheriff, the Board of Larimer County Commissioners today voted 3-0 to adopt fire restrictions in unincorporated Larimer County since the danger of wildfire, forest and grass fires are great due to above-normal temperatures, lightning strikes, and windy, dry conditions.

As of 4:13 pm, July 31, restrictions on open fires for the unincorporated portions of Larimer County go into effect. These restrictions stay in effect until 8:00 a.m., August 31, 2024. Also in effect are restrictions on the use of fireworks, combustible devices, public firework displays and incendiary devices. This is NOT a fire ban.

Restricted today:

• Open fires, contained open fires, including camp or cooking fires
• Smoking in the open is not allowed, including on trails, parks and open spaces.
• Fireworks or firework displays.
• Incendiary devices including sky lanterns, exploding ammunition, exploding targets, and tracer ammunition.
• Welding

Allowed:

• Fireplaces or wood stoves located inside a residence
• Gas fueled fires, including grills and camping stoves

Legal Definitions:

1. Combustible Devices shall mean any object which is flammable, explodes or is designed to or may cause fire. This includes sky lanterns, exploding ammunition, exploding targets, and tracer ammunition.
2. Open Fires shall include both contained open fires, uncontained open fires and gas or liquid fueled fires.
   1. "Contained Open Fires" shall mean open fire that is in a permanently constructed stationary masonry or metal fireplaces specifically designed for the purpose of combustion. Contained Open Fires shall not include fireplaces or wood stoves located inside a permanent structure, such as a residential dwelling or commercial business.
   2. "Uncontained Open Fires" shall mean any fire (including but not limited to: campfire, fireplace, recreational fire, bonfire, firepit, etc…), coal, wood or pellet stove, fireplace, any type of charcoal, wood, or pellet fueled cooking, uncontained fire of any type in an undeveloped area including camp and cooking fires, welding, or operating acetylene or other torches with open flames.
   3. "Gas or Liquid Fueled Fires" shall mean fires fueled by bottled gas or pressurized liquid, which shall include but is not limited to: portable heaters, cooking stoves, heating stoves, hiking/camping stoves, grills, firepits, fireplaces, etc….)
3. Fireworks shall mean any composition or device designed to produce a visible or audible effect by combustion, deflagration, or detonation, and that meets the definition of permissible fireworks defined in C.R.S. 24-33.5-2001(11).
   1. Fireworks does not include:
      1. Toy caps, party poppers, and items similar to toy caps and party poppers that do not contain more than sixteen milligrams of pyrotechnic composition per item and snappers that do not contain more than one milligram of explosive composition per item;
      2. Highway flares, railroad fuses, ship distress signals, smoke candles, and other emergency signal devices;
      3. Educational rockets and toy propellant device type engines used in such rockets when such rockets are of nonmetallic construction and utilize replaceable engines or model cartridges containing less than two ounces of propellant and when such engines or model cartridges are designed to be ignited by electrical means;
      4. Fireworks that are used in testing or research by a licensed explosives laboratory.
4. Public fireworks displays shall mean any display of fireworks conducted by a qualified pyrotechnic operator in compliance with the International Fire Code, as amended, and conducted only after the approval by the local fire authority, and incompliance with any conditions imposed by the local fire authority.

Any person who knowingly violates the restrictions can be fined. The Ordinance for the Regulation of Open Burning in Unincorporated Larimer County can be found here: https://www.larimer.gov/sites/default/files/ordinance_concerning_the_restriction_of_open_fires_-_2022_final_04262022.pdf