Effective 5pm, 9/24/15, Jefferson County Sheriff Shrader issued Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for all areas of unincorporated Jefferson County, to include all federal lands. Below is the language of the restrictions copied from the Jefferson County Web Site. As we are in a very dry time right now, with an abundance of fuels, please take the time to share this with friends and family as this affects us all in the Golden Gate Fire Protection District. Also please take the time to address your own property/residence making sure grasses are cut and other ignitable fuels are tended to as much as possible.
The Stage 1 Restrictions are in effect until further notice.
The following activities are prohibited under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions:
- Building, maintaining, attending or using any fire or recreational campfire, except a recreational fire within a permanently constructed fire grate in a developed park, campground, private residence, or picnic area.
NOTE: Private residential recreational campfires exempted as described above, are encouraged to contact their local fire agency and advise start and finish times to alleviate smoke check responses.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least six feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material. (2009 IFC 320.8).
- Open burning including “bon fires” that require a permit from the fire authority having jurisdiction, will not be allowed during these restrictions. (2009 IFC 105.6.30).
- The use of illegal fireworks, as defined below, are prohibited within Jefferson County. (Illegal fireworks are generally defined as anything that leaves the ground or explodes).
NOTE: Burn permits issued and not executed prior to the effective date of these temporary fire restrictions shall not be authorized unless approved by the issuing agency on the day of execution.
Exemptions approved under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions:
- Use of liquid or gas fueled appliances.
- Approved wood pellet grills.
- Charcoal barbeque grills not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area. (2009 IFC 308.1.6).
- Portable outdoor fireplaces not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area. (2009 IFC 307.4.3).
- Fire department / district training fires. Recreational fires, Tiki torches, chimineas and fire pits. Items must be 30 feet from an undeveloped area. (2009 IFC 307.4.2).
- Welding and cutting torch appliances, as described above in the definition section, may only be operated in an area no closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area. (2009 IFC 308.1.6).
- Permitted fires by persons with a permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act such as professional fireworks displays. Contact must be made with the permitting authority to verify the status of permits issued prior to the establishment of burn restrictions.
- Burning of explosive wastes by manufacturer of explosives in areas zoned for industrial use, when the burning is supervised by the fire protection district.
- Open fires or open burning by any federal, state, or local officer in the performance of official fire suppression functions.
Individuals operating under any of the above exemptions shall take adequate measures to prevent uncontrolled fires. Possible measures include, but are not limited to:
- Containers of adequate water or dry soil nearby.
- Shovels, fire extinguishers, or other extinguishing agents nearby.
- Coordination with the local fire department or district to be on scene or standby during an activity.
Definitions:
Fireworks: As defined in section 12-28-101(3) C.R.S, and shall specifically include “permissible fireworks” as defined in section 12-28-101(8) C.R.S.
International Fire Code (IFC): Latest adopted Fire Code within Jefferson County; currently the 2009 edition.
Liquid or gas fueled appliances: Appliances such as fire pits, grills, camp stoves, and Tiki torches that burn liquid or gaseous fuels and can be shut off. This does not include any device that burns solid fuels such as wood or charcoal and which must be extinguished.
Open fire and open burning: Any outdoor fire larger than a recreational fire and not contained within a portable outdoor fireplace. This includes but is not limited to campfires, bonfires, warming fires, the lighting of any fused explosives, permissible fireworks, the use of model rockets, “sky lanterns”, and the burning of fence lines or rows, grass lands, fields, farm lands, ditches, range lands, and wild lands. Permits from the fire district are required for open fires.
Portable outdoor fireplace: A commercially purchased portable, outdoor, solid-fuel-burning fireplace that may be constructed of steel, concrete, clay, or other non-combustible material. A portable outdoor fireplace may be open in design, or may be equipped with a small hearth opening and a short chimney or chimney opening at the top. (chimineas) These devices must be operated according to the manufactures instructions with all covers, screens, spark arresters, and grates in place. Portable outdoor fireplaces shall not be operated within 30 feet of a structure or combustible material.
Recreational fire: An outdoor fire burning material other than rubbish or debris where the fuel being burned is not contained in a portable outdoor fireplace, or barbeque grill and has a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes. This includes fires in barrels and drums; fixed, permanent outdoor fireplaces; and barbeque pit fires.
Undeveloped areas: Lands that are not groomed, manicured, or watered, where grasses, brush and trees have been allowed to grow in a natural environment. This includes green belts that are not landscaped or manicured, open space lands, non-manicured park lands, and other areas where the fire hazard presented by the vegetation is determined to be an undue wildland fire hazard.
Welding and cutting torch appliances: Gas cylinder mixtures, electric and/or portable powered welders and cutting appliances which produce heat, flame, sparks, molten metal slag, etc.
Pursuant to County Policy Part 3, Chapter 6, Section 2, authorizing the Declaration of Open Fire Bans, violations of these prohibitions, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $600.00. Such act(s) violate section(s) 102.8 and/or 308.2.1 of the International Fire Code.
