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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.
The building, maintaining, attending, or using any fire or campfire, not within a permanently constructed fire grate in a developed park, campground, private residence, or picnic area is NOT authorized during Jefferson County fire restrictions.
EXEMPTED: Private residential recreational campfires exempted as described above, are encouraged to contact their local fire agency and advise start and finish times to alleviate smoke check responses.
Burn permits issued and not executed prior to the effective date of these Temporary Fire Restrictions shall not be authorized unless approved by the issuing agency on the day of execution.
The USE of ALL fireworks is prohibited in a fire ban. This includes "permissible fireworks" such as, but not limited to small fireworks devices designed to produce audible or visual effects by combustion, fountains, cones, spinners, sparklers, poppers, snake or glow worm pellets and other trick noisemakers. Please see the complete listing as defined below.
DEFINITION:
Fireworks as defined in section 12-28-101(3) C.R.S, and shall specifically include "permissible fireworks" as defined in section 12-28-101(8) 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 (IFC 105.6.30).
Note: Burn permits issued and not executed prior to the effective date of these fire restrictions shall not be authorized unless approved by the issuing agency on the day of execution.
Shooting tracer rounds or explosive type targets are prohibited.
The use of an explosive initiation system requiring a burning fuse line is prohibited.
Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least six feet diameter that is barren or cleared of all combustible material is NOT authorized during Jefferson County fire restrictions.
Allowed During Fire Restrictions
The items below are approved exemptions during fire restrictions. Click the item tab for details.
- Fire
- Chain Saw
- Charcoal Grills
- Chimineas or Portable Outdoor Fireplace
- Fire Pits
- Heating devices
- Permit Fires
- Tiki torches
- Welding & Cutting torches
- Wood Pellet Grills
Recreational fires within a permanently constructed fire grate in a developed park, campground, private residence, or picnic area and not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area (2015 IFC 307.4.2)
Private residential recreational campfires exempted as described above, are encouraged to contact their local fire agency and advise start and finish times to alleviate smoke check responses.
DEFINITION:
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 similarpurposes. This includes fires in barrels and drums; fixed, permanent outdoor fireplaces; and barbeque pit fires.
Operating a chain saw with a USDA or SAE approved spark arresting device properly installed and in effective working order, and having a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than eight (8) ounces capacity by weight, and possessing one large size pointed shovel with an overall length of at least thirty-six (36) inches is allowed during fire restrictions. The extinguisher shall be with the chain saw operator. The shovel may be kept with the fueling supplies, but readily available for quick use.
Charcoal grills use either charcoal briquettes or all-natural lump charcoal as their fuel source. The charcoal, when burned, will transform into embers radiating the heat necessary to cook food.
Charcoal grill fires at private residences or within a permanently constructed grate in a developed park, campground, or picnic area are allowed during fire restrictions.
Charcoal barbeque grills shall not be closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area (2015 IFC 308.1.6)
A chiminea or a portable outdoor fireplace at private residences or within a developed park, campground, or picnic area and are not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area, a structure, or combustible material is allowed during Jefferson County fire restriction (308.1.6), (307.4.3).
DEFINITIONS:
A chiminea is a freestanding front-loading fireplace or oven with a bulbous body and usually a vertical smoke vent or chimney.
Fires start very quickly in chimineas after ignition with papers and small pieces of wood. When in full burn after just 15 minutes, they give off tremendous heat due to their design which allows much more air to be drawn in than, for example, a fire basket.
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 manufacturers' 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.
Fire pits at private residences or within a developed park, campground, or picnic area and are not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area and not closer than 15 feet of a structure or combustible material is allowed during Jefferson County fire restriction (308.1.6), (307.4.3).
DEFINITION:
Liquid or Gas-Fueled 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.
Any fires contained within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices are allowed during fire restrictions.
DEFINITION:
Liquid or Gas-Fueled 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.
Exemptions approved under this temporary fire restrictions include the following permitted fires.
- Permitted fires by persons with a permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act such as professional fireworks displays. Contact must be made with the permitting authority to verify the status of permits issued prior to the establishment of burn restrictions.
- Fire Department/District training fires.
- Burning of explosive wastes by manufacturers of explosives in areas zoned for industrial use, when the burning is supervised by the fire protection district.
- 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, but are not limited to:
- Containers of adequate water or dry soil nearby.
- Shovels, fire extinguishers, or other extinguishing agents nearby.
- Coordination with the local fire department or district to be on scene or standby during an activity
Tiki torches at private residences or within a developed park, campground, or picnic area and are not closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area and not closer than 15 feet of a structure or combustible material is allowed during Jefferson County fire restriction (308.1.6), (307.4.3).
DEFINITION:
Liquid or Gas-Fueled 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.
Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame within an area that is barren or cleared of all combustible material at least 10 feet on all sides from the equipment is allowed during fire restrictions.
Welding and cutting torch appliances, as described below in the definition section, may only be operated in an area no closer than 30 feet from an undeveloped area (2015 IFC 308.1.6)
DEFINITION:
Welding and Cutting Torch Appliances: Gas cylinder mixtures, electric and/or portable powered welders and cutting appliances that produce heat, flame, sparks, molten metal slag, etc.
Approved wood pellet grills are exempt under these temporary fire restrictions.
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.
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Fire Information Hotline
Phone : 303-271-8200
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Emergency Management & Preparedness
Physical Address
200 Jefferson County Parkway
Golden, CO 80419
Phone : 303-271-4900Emergency Phone : 911
Alerts
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