Boulder County warns of increasing fire danger
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Both the U.S. Forest Service and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office have issued burn restrictions in the western areas of the county as fire danger looms over this week's forecast.
Why it matters: Hot, dry weather during peak fire season has created prime wildfire conditions in Colorado's Front Range, including Boulder.
Driving the news: Boulder County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Vinnie Montez told Axios Boulder the decision to move to Stage 1 fire restrictions was based on high-90s and thunderstorms on the forecast, in addition to a lack of rain in recent weeks.
- "Fire conditions are always relative to what's going on with the weather," he said, adding the primary concern is high winds.
- The U.S. Forest Service also implemented restrictions on the Boulder Ranger District within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, according to a release issued Tuesday.
Flashback: Just last weekend, Boulder County saw a small fire on U.S. Forest Service land near Allenspark.
- The blaze was started by a lightning strike and burned less than one acre. No structures were damaged.
Zoom out: The Lee Fire in Rio Blanco County, roughly 200 miles west of Boulder, has surpassed 113,000 acres, now Colorado's fifth largest blaze on record.
- Other uncontained fires larger than 4,000 acres include the Elk Fire outside Meeker, the Stoner Mesa Fire in Dolores County, the Turner Gulch Fire outside Grand Junction and the South Rim Fire at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Threat level: As wildfire crews and national teams gather on the Western Slope, Montez said Denver-metro communities generally draw from a different pool of firefighting resources.
- "We're looking a lot better on the Front Range area," Montez said of resources like personnel and air support.
What we're watching for: Boulder County and the U.S. Forest Service's fire restrictions will remain in place until officials determine conditions have improved.
More on Stage 1 restrictions: View the affected area here.
- Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit campfires, grills, fireworks, recreational shooting, smoking outside in brush areas, unauthorized welding and chainsaw use.
- Anyone found in violation may be subject to a $500 fine.