Some fire bans were lifted across the state this morning because of recent rains and an impending monsoon season.
Fire restrictions were lifted completely on nearly 3 million acres of federal lands stretching from southern Colorado into Kansas, including the Pike-San Isabel National Forest.
Park County lifted all restrictions.
In other counties, including Jefferson and Douglas, fire officials eased restrictions, but open fires are still not allowed unless they are in fire rings in established camp and picnic grounds. Propane stoves are allowed.
Higher humidity and wetter fire fuels such as grasses led U.S. Forest Service officials to lift the ban in southern Colorado, spokeswoman Barb Timock said.
“We have a checklist to determine if we meet the criteria for lifting the restrictions,” Timock said. “And in the last three or four days, we’ve had some trends that look pretty good.”
But if conditions dry out, Timock warned, the restrictions could be reimposed.
Fire bans were put in place in cities, counties and on state and federal land throughout Colorado in response to an extra-dry season and mounting wildfire dangers.
Business has dropped off a bit since the fire restrictions went into effect, said Randy Geisinger, owner of Park County’s Jefferson Market, which sells supplies to Pike National Forest campers.
Even so, Geisinger said he is not looking forward to the limits being repealed.
“My biggest concern is that they’re going to burn down the forest,” he said. “A week’s worth of rain isn’t enough to make up for as dry as it’s been.”
In many counties, including Arapahoe County and Summit County, bans continue. Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said he is keeping the limits in place because he’s wary of future dry spells.
The wet weather is expected to stay over the weekend and through the beginning of next week, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Kalina. But by the middle of next week, it will dry out again, he said.
Monsoon season is also no guarantee of wet weather, Kalina said. A week of steady rain will often be followed by dry spells, he said.
To see what areas have restrictions, go to www.dola.state.co.us/oem/ PublicInformation/ firebans/firebans2006.htm
Staff writer Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer can be reached at 303-820-1316 or awittmeyer@denverpost.com.
