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Fire Restriction Details
Prohibited During Fire Restrictions
The items below are NOT authorized during fire restrictions. Click the item tab for details.
- Building, maintaining, attending or using any fire or recreational campfire is NOT authorized during Jefferson County fire restrictions.
- The USE, SALE, and PERMITTING for sale of fireworks, as defined below, are prohibited within Jefferson County.
DEFINITION:
Fireworks as defined in section 24-33.5-2001(5) C.R.S, and shall specifically include "permissible fireworks" as defined in section 24-33.5-2001(11) C.R.S.
- Open Burning, including “bon fires” that require a permit from the fire authority having jurisdiction, will NOT be allowed during Jefferson County fire restrictions (2018 IFC 105.6.32).
Shooting tracer/ incendiary rounds or explosive-type targets are NOT authorized during Jefferson County fire restrictions.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least six feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material during Jefferson County fire restrictions. (2018 IFC 310.8)
Definitions
- FIREWORKS: As defined in section 24-33.5-2001(5) C.R.S, and shall specifically include “permissible fireworks” as defined in section 24-33.5-2001(11) C.R.S.
- INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE (IFC): Latest adopted Fire Code within Jefferson County. Currently the 2018 edition.
- LIQUID OR GAS FUELED APPLIANCES: Appliances such as fire pits, grills, camp stoves, and Tiki torches that burn liquid or gaseous fuels and can be shut off. This does not include any device that burns solid fuels such as wood or charcoal and which must be extinguished.
- OPEN FIRE AND OPEN BURNING: Any outdoor fire larger than a recreational fire and not contained within a portable outdoor fireplace. This includes but is not limited to campfires, bonfires, warming fires, the lighting of any fused explosives, permissible fireworks, the use of model rockets, “sky lanterns”, and the burning of fence lines or rows, grass lands, fields, farm lands, ditches, range lands, and wild lands. Permits from the fire district are required for open fires.
- PORTABLE OUTDOOR FIREPLACE: A commercially purchased portable, outdoor, solid-fuel-burning fireplace that may be constructed of steel, concrete, clay, or other non-combustible material. A portable outdoor fireplace may be open in design, or may be equipped with a small hearth opening and a short chimney or chimney opening at the top. These devices must be operated according to the manufacturer’s instructions with all covers, screens, spark arresters, and grates in place. Portable outdoor fireplaces shall not be operated within 30 feet of a structure or combustible material.
- RECREATIONAL FIRE: An outdoor fire burning material other than rubbish or debris where the fuel being burned is not contained in a portable outdoor fireplace, or barbeque grill and has a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes. This includes fires in barrels and drums; fixed, permanent outdoor fireplaces; and barbeque pit fires.
- UNDEVELOPED AREAS: Lands that are not groomed, manicured, or watered, where grasses, brush and trees have been allowed to grow in a natural environment. This includes green belts that are not landscaped or manicured, open space lands, non-manicured park lands, and other areas where the fire hazard presented by the vegetation is determined to be an undue wildland fire hazard.
- WELDING AND CUTTING TORCH APPLIANCES: Gas cylinder mixtures, electric and/or portable powered welders and cutting appliances which produce heat, flame, sparks, molten metal slag, etc.
Count Policy Definitions
- Pursuant to County Policy Part 3, Chapter 6, Section 2, authorizing the Declaration of Open Fire Bans, violations of these prohibitions, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $600.00. Such act(s) violate section(s) 102.8 and/or 308.2 of the International Fire Code.
- Pursuant to County Policy Part 7, Chapter 3, Section 3, authorizing the ban on the sale of fireworks. Additionally, while the ban on the sale of fireworks is in effect, the Planning and Zoning Division shall not issue any Miscellaneous Zoning Permits under Regulatory Policy Part 7, Chapter 3, Section 3 providing the permit requirements for the sale of fireworks.
Allowed During Fire Restrictions
The following activities are still permitted during fire restrictions.
- Use of liquid or gas-fueled appliances;
- Approved wood pellet grills;
- Charcoal barbeque grills not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area (2018 IFC 308.1.6);
- Portable outdoor fireplaces may be used at one and two-family dwellings, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, so long as such portable outdoor fireplaces are not operated within 15 feet of a dwelling or combustible material. (2018 IFC 307.4.3);
- Welding and cutting torch appliances, as described above in the definition section, may only be operated in an area no closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area (2018 IFC 308.1.6);
- Fire Department / District training fires;
- Burning of explosive wastes by manufacturer of explosives in areas zoned for industrial use, when the burning is supervised by the fire protection district; and
- Open fires or open burning by any federal, state, or local officer in the performance of official fire suppression functions.
Individuals operating under any of the above exemptions shall take adequate measures to prevent uncontrolled fires. Possible measures include:
- Containers of adequate water or dry soil nearby;
- Shovels, fire extinguishers, or other extinguishing agents nearby; or
- Coordination with the local fire department or district to be on scene or standby during an activity.
Enforcement
Jefferson County deputies will strictly enforce the temporary fire ban and temporary fire restrictions in the unincorporated areas, to include federal lands. Pursuant to County Policy Part 3, Chapter 6, Section 2, authorizing the Declaration of Open Fire Bans, violations of these prohibitions, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $600. Such act(s) violate section(s) 102.8 and / or 308.2.1 of the International Fire Code.