Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
August 22, 2024, 3 p.m. – The Garfield County Sheriff, BLM, and the seven fire districts in Garfield County are lifting Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in all unincorporated areas of Garfield County effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 23, 2024.
The recent rainfall in our area, along with cooler weather, has allowed Stage I Restrictions to be lifted in Garfield County at all elevations. Fire restrictions are implemented based on specific criteria, including the moisture content of vegetation, weather outlooks, human “risk” factors, and firefighting resource availability.
Please exercise due diligence, be careful if you are building a campfire or partaking of any activity in an undeveloped area that might create sparks. There are still a lot of fuels and dry vegetation in Garfield County where a fire could ignite and quickly spread.
Common sense and caution are the rule of the day. Enjoy our great outdoors here in western Colorado, but do so carefully. Starting a wildfire would not only ruin your day, but could cost someone a life, the loss of a home or other personal property. Undoubtedly, there would be legal consequences if you were to start a fire.
Garfield County fire restrictions
Bureau of Land Management
AUGUST 22, 2024 – The Bureau of Land Management Upper Colorado River District is removing stage 1 fire restrictions for the Grand Junction and Colorado River Valley Field Offices effective 12:01 a.m. Friday. BLM fire managers, along with agency partners, evaluated current fire danger and predicted weather, and determined that conditions no longer meet the criteria for remaining in fire restrictions.
“We thank the public for their cooperation during fire restrictions this year,” said Acting Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Officer Lathan Johnson. “And we ask that they continue to be fire safe while they enjoy our public lands.”
Although reduced, the risk of wildfires remains.
“Even though we’ve had rain, the threat of fire still exists,” said Johnson. “We encourage our public land users to always use caution while working or recreating outdoors: don’t park in tall, dry grass; when leaving your campfire, put it out with water, stir, and make sure it is cold to the touch; and remember that fireworks are never allowed on public land.”
BLM fire managers will work with local agencies to monitor conditions and evaluate needs for further restrictions. Fire restriction rescission orders for the BLM Upper Colorado River Valley District are available on the district website.