FIRE: resources, links, facts, bans, and more
APRIL 8, 2021 == Someone asked on Facebook if it was currently safe to use a “chiminea” (or some form of contained fireplace) on your porch or deck in Estes. The overwhelming response was that just because it was ok according to the Fire rules, doesn’t mean that it will not need careful close attention. TIPS: Never leave it unattended (eg, spend an hour inside cooking or on the phone). Is it windy? Is it on a wood deck? Are their pets nearby? Did you dose it when done? etc. — one women wrote that it was “someone not following a burning ban that burned our neighborhood to the ground.”
This “page” is our latest in a series of “COMMUNITY RESOURCE” PAGES. In the future, you can go to the MENU BAR and click on “Community Resources” to access this information. As always — our goal is to give you easy, quick, simple access to everything you need to find under “RESOURCES.” This information has been gathered from 12 different web pages, so that you don’t have to do that!
=======LYONS FIRE DISTRICT===========
Burn Safety
Contact the Lyons Fire Protection District at (303) 823-6611 before commencing your burn.
Pile debris in open areas away from standing timber and structures.
Piles should be no larger than 8 feet wide and 6 feet high.
There must be a minimum of 4-6 inches of snow cover around piles.
Winds should be less than 10 mph. Check the weather forecast to avoid burning during high winds or extremely dry conditions.
Always have water, a rake, and a shovel available.
Attend all fires until completely out.
All burning must be extinguished by nightfall.
For those with permits for Open Burning, check the Red Flag Weather page to find out if open burning is allowed that day.
Also, you are welcome to contact us to request a brief walk through wildfire assessment for your property at publicinformation@lyonsfire.org This is also available through the Pinewood Springs Fire Department.
———–Lyons Prepared———–
Lyons Prepared is a community group of volunteer neighbors
WHAT WE DO
Lyons Prepared is focused on education and communication about natural disaster & emergency preparedness throughout the Lyons Fire Protection District (LFPD).
Some of the ways we do this include (info updated 9/22):
==Supporting the Lyons Fire Department community engagement and education initiatives such as wildfire mitigation planning.
==Cultivating and training points of contact in every neighborhood within LFPD, and communicating between LFPD and citizens during an emergency situation when other forms of communication become disabled.
==Disseminating educational materials and encouraging people to sign up for Boulder and Larimer County emergency alerts.
==Please reach out to info@lyonsprepared.com if you are interested in volunteering or learning more about disaster preparedness.
This is their web site: https://www.lyonsprepared.com/ which they are in the process of updating.
=========BOULDER COUNTY==========
There are no current fire restrictions in place for Boulder County (4/6/21)
Check NWS Denver/Boulder Fire Weather Forecast Services page for up-to-date information.
Boulder County Fire Map.
Information on Fire Restrictions
Fire restrictions can be enacted either by the Sheriff, the Board of County Commissioners, or the State when certain outdoor conditions are met.
During any of the following weather events, open burning is not allowed in unincorporated Boulder County from time of issuance until midnight in which the event expires: Red Flag Warning, High Wind Warning, High Wind Watch and Fire Danger Warning. Check the local forecast for up to date information.
VIOLATIONS: class 2 petty offense – and $500 for first offense, $750 for second offense, $1,000 for third and subsequent.
=============ESTES VALLEY============
Check National Fire page for up-to-date information on Fire Alerts.
Standing Fire Restrictions (see flow chart)
In the Estes Valley, the following “International Fire Code” restrictions are in place AT ALL TIMES:
· The fuel pile may not exceed 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height (fuel, not flame length) (IFC 307.4)
· Recreational fires must be at least 25 feet away from a structure (IFC 307.4.2)
· Fires in an approved container must be at least 15 feet away from a structure (IFC 307.4.3)
· Fires must be constantly attended until extinguished (IFC 307.5)
· Attendant must have a mechanism to extinguish the fire (IFC 307.5)
· The following items are prohibited for recreational burning (IFC 307.1.1):
==Routine yard and garden clean-up waste
==Structures
==Construction debris
==Household garbage
==Materials that produce excessive smoke (cattails, plastic, etc.)
==Commercial/Business waste
==Stumps
======LARIMER COUNTY=====
The above Estes Valley information is based on what Larimer does.
For more information about Burn Permits, the guidelines, and to apply.
Air Quality for Larimer, and for the Front Range.
Larimer County Fire map.
Burn Permits
Most outdoor burning in Larimer County requires a permit signed by both your local fire department and the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. The fire department evaluates applications for potential fire safety issues, while the health department evaluates air quality issues that can impact human health.
Open burning in Larimer County is regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment/Air Pollution Control Division under Colorado Air Quality Control Commission’s Regulation One and Regulation Nine. Open burning without a permit is illegal and can result in fines of up to $10,000 per day.
We generally only allow clean, dry slash to be burned; never trash. Certain activities are exempt from needing a burn permit from the health department but are reviewed by local fire protection districts.
Slash is defined as clean dry branches four inches or less in diameter, not containing other smoke producing materials.
======CURRENT FIRE RESTRICTIONS=========
Boulder County (south of Estes Valley): Check website
· Boulder County Website of Current Restrictions
Unincorporated Larimer County Additional Restrictions: None
· Larimer County Website of Current Restrictions
State of Colorado Additional Restrictions: None
· Division of Fire Prevention and Control Website
Rocky Mountain National Park (west of Estes Valley):
· National Park Website of Current Restrictions
Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest (north/east/south of Estes Valley): None
· National Forest Alerts & Notices
Additional Resources
· Colorado State Drought Map
· InciWeb of all Current Wildfires
· EPA Smoke Map
===============FACTS================
How Is The Need For Restrictions Determined?
Fire restrictions can be enacted either by the Sheriff, the Board of County Commissioners, or the State when certain outdoor conditions are met. In Larimer County, they utilize a decision matrix to assess key risk factors for their area.
Residential Burning in Colorado
Residential burning pertains to operating wood burning systems and appliances including stoves, fireplaces and heaters in a residence. During the winter high pollution season (November through March) if an air quality Action Day is currently in effect, residential burning is restricted in the seven-county Denver-metro area, including Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, Jefferson, and areas west of Kiowa Creek in Adams and Arapahoe counties. The only exceptions to the residential burning restrictions are for people living above 7,000 feet; those who use Colorado Phase III (Phase II EPA) certified stoves, Colorado approved pellet stoves, approved masonry heaters or those whose stoves or fireplaces are their primary source of heat. Residents are also asked to voluntarily limit driving on Action Days. On days that are not air quality Action Days, no restrictions are in place.
Who decides to enter (or exit) restrictions?
The authority to enter or exit restrictions varies by agency. For Fire Protection Districts that have adopted the International Fire Code, (such as Estes Valley Fire Protection District), the authority rests in the Fire Chief.
Wildfire Mitigation
TIPS on addressing wildfire threat on your property:
If you’d like to learn more about how to take care of your property in response to wildfire threat, please consider visiting these sites:
For Boulder County: https://wildfirepartners.org/
For Larimer County: https://csfs.colostate.edu/wildfire-mitigation/
Nationally: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire
Also, you are welcome to contact us to request a brief walk through wildfire assessment for your property at publicinformation@lyonsfire.org This is also available through the Pinewood Springs Fire Department.
Outdoor Recreation Fire Safety:
=Be aware of fire risks and take responsibility for your use of fire.
=Before you leave home, check with authorities at your camping location for fire restrictions.
=During especially dry seasons, even recreational and cooking fires can be restricted.
=Be careful with campfires – only build fires in rings or grates. Avoid areas with overhanging branches, steep slopes and dry grasses.
=Maintain a safety zone around a campfire and always closely supervise children. Teach them to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches on fire.
=Keep a bucket of water and shovel nearby to put out the fire. When extinguishing a campfire, drown it with water and stir with water and dirt until all the ashes are cold.
=Use self-contained cookers or chemical stoves instead of campfires for cooking.
=Keep hot mufflers and catalytic converters clear of grasses and shrubs.
=Think about how you would evacuate in the event of a wildfire. Plan the routes you could take, including at least one alternate route, in case your primary route is blocked.
GRANTS to Help With Mitigation
Periodically the counties or cities or other forest protection groups will offer a grant to help you pay for mitigation of your property (eg, remove trees within 30 feet of your home). Here is one offered in April 2021:The US Forest Services wants to help you get wildfire ready by creating defensible space around your home
=======Vocabulary========
RED FLAG Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or imminent. Red Flag Warning is a forecast issued by the US Weather Service to inform area firefighting and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire ignition and propagation. Red Flag Warnings may be issued after drought conditions, when humidity is very low, during storms with dry lightning, and especially during high or erratic wind conditions. Red Flag Warning is a critical statement for firefighting agencies, which often alter their staffing and equipment resources dramatically to accommodate the forecast risk. To the public, a Red Flag Warning means high fire danger with increased probability of a quickly spreading vegetation fire within 24 hours.
Fire Weather Watch is issued to alert fire and land management agencies to the possibility that Red Flag conditions may exist beyond the first forecast period (12 hours). The watch is issued generally 12 to 48 hours in advance of the expected conditions, but can be issued up to 72 hours in advance.
Defensible space is the area around a home or other structure that has been modified to reduce fire hazard. In this area, natural and manmade fuels are treated, cleared or reduced to slow the spread of wildfire. Creating defensible space also works in the reverse, and reduces the chance of a structure fire spreading to neighboring homes or the surrounding forest.
Emergency Packing Kit
- Water (1 gallon per person per day) and a container to catch water or melt snow in
- Food (non perishable, like power bars and cans with pop open lids)
- First aid kit (if you make your own, be sure to include: bandages, antibacterial medicine (in a tube), cold/hot packs, tweezers, scissors, hand sanitizer, isopropyl alcohol wipes)
- Medications – over the counter, like allergy pills; and prescriptions
- Flashlight (or headlamp) and batteries, or table lamp (battery operated)
- multi-tool, like Army knife
- NOAA weather radio (battery-powered or hand-crank), and backup batteries
- Waterproof matches or lighter (in a waterproof container)
- Cellphone, backup battery and extra charger (solar charger)
- Cash (small bills), credit cards, prepaid phone card
- Legal documents (eg, car and house insurance, Will)
- Masking tape and duck tape, and plastic (grocery) bags
- Personal Phone/address book
- Blanket
- Identification, wallet, drivers license, medical cards