Due to dry conditions presenting a fire hazard throughout the Glenwood Springs area, City staff have determined it necessary to put Stage 1 fire restrictions in place within the city limits, effective July 1.
Stage 1
The following acts are prohibited:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site, or improved site. 36 CFR 261.52(a).
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. 36 CFR 261.52(d).
- Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order meeting either the USDA Forest Service Standard 5100-1a (as amended), or appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practice J335(b) and J350(a) (36 CFR 261.52(j)).
Fire restrictions in the City of Glenwood Springs will be in place until further notice.
Penalties
Violations of these regulations is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor, by a fine of not more than $5000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six (6) months or both.
Smoking
As with fireworks, even when fire restrictions are not in place, the City of Glenwood Springs has several smoking restrictions. To reduce the levels of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, smoking is not permitted in the following outdoor areas:
- Within fifty (50) feet of any child care center or school
- In the downtown area, between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
- Within twenty-five (25) feet of a transit stop
- On any park, parkland, or recreation area or facility
- Within twenty-five (25) feet of any common, active, or passive open space
Glenwood Springs Police Officers will soon be stepping up enforcement of the smoking restrictions. Anyone caught violating the smoking ordinance can be fined up to $200 for a first violation, $300 for a second violation, and $500 for each additional violation within a calendar year.
Explanation of Fire Restrictions
Stage I
The first stage occurs when there is an increasing fire danger and/or a increasing preparedness level, and the risks of keeping the forest open to all activities begins to be outweighed by the risks inherent in doing so. Stage I imposes relatively minor restrictions aimed at preventing the start of wildfires based on human activities that are known to be high risk, specifically smoking and campfires.
Stage II
As the risks increase, the line officer may chose to move to Stage II. This stage intensifies the restrictions from Stage I by focusing on activities that, although normally managed under permit or contract, have a relatively high risk of causing a fire start.
Restrictions under Stage II will affect forest users and will have economic impacts to contractors, permittees, and others. Therefore, the decision to move to Stage II will involve a risk/benefit assessment, as well as consideration of economic and social impacts.