Stage 2 fire restrictions have been issued for all Bureau of Land Management public lands in six Colorado counties Saturday.
The counties include Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache. According to a release, the decisions were made based on current fire danger and weather conditions expected in those areas.
The following activities are prohibited under Stage 2 restrictions:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, any type of charcoal-fueled broiler or open fire of any type (NO EXCEPTIONS).
- Smoking outside of an enclosed vehicle or building.
- Operating or using any internal combustion engine without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order.
- Welding or operating an acetylene or other type of torch that produces an open flame capable of igniting flammable material.
- Operating a chain saw without a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight, and one Size 0 or larger round pointed shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches readily available.
Using cooking stoves, lanterns, and other appliances fueled by liquid petroleum or bottled fuels that are equipped with on-off valves for the flame are still prohibited.
A fire is currently burning in both Costilla and Huerfano Counties, the Spring Fire has prompted evacuations for hundreds of residents in the area. The blaze has reached over 38,000 acres and is zero percent contained as of Saturday afternoon.
