With the potential for wildfires rising as fast as the morning mercury across much of Colorado, several counties on Wednesday enacted burn bans.
Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger said his county’s ban enacted Wednesday creates an open fire ban along the I-70 corridor from Denver west to the state line.
The ban in Clear Creek County includes: smoking and all outdoor fires, including bonfires; campfires; charcoal or wood barbecues on public property; fireworkes; trash and rubbish burning and agricultural burns.
Exceptions are made for campfires contained in fire pits, grates or rings; barbecues that use propane, natural gas or a liquid stove; smoking on construction sites with designated smoking areas; and fully enclosed charcoal grills on private property.
Citing conditions that present and extreme danger for the possibility of wildfire, officials in Arapahoe County on Wednesday issued a burning ban on open fires and open burning in all unincorporated areas.
The ban includes: campfires, warming fires, fires in wood-burning stoves, fireworks, prescribed burns and agricultural burns.
It does not include small charcoal or gas grills used for cooking, which do note produce open flames.
