This year’s Fourth of July weekend comes on the heels of one of Boulder County’s driest late springs on record, prompting county and federal officials to implement fire restrictions across the mountains to mitigate wildfire risk.
Campfires are permitted in permanent fire pits and grills at developed campgrounds and recreation sites in Boulder County. Fires outside these areas are generally prohibited.
That means people creating a fire while camping on the Switzerland Trail or backpacking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, for instance, may be fined. Fireworks are prohibited on city, county and federal public lands.
The U.S. Forest Service has enacted Stage 1 fire restrictions in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland. This means no fires unless it is in a developed campground or recreation site with established fire rings or grills. Gas stoves for backpacking are permitted.
“Keep all campfires contained within the agency provided metal or concrete fire rings and always fully extinguish the campfire with large amounts of water until all of the coals are out cold,” Cody Peel, fire and aviation staff officer for the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest, said in a news release on July 2.
The National Park Service always imposes similar Stage 1 fire restrictions in Rocky Mountain National Park. No fires, except in designated fire rings in picnic areas or campgrounds, are permitted.
Boulder County this week enacted Stage 1 fire restrictions in unincorporated Boulder County. Campfires and charcoal grilling are banned on county public lands, except in established fire pits or grills within developed campgrounds or recreation sites. Sites where certain fires are allowed include Kelly Dahl Campground, Rainbow Lakes Campground, Camp Dick Campground, Peaceful Valley Campground, Meeker Park Campground, Olive Ridge Campground and Brainard Lake Recreation Area.
Setting off fireworks and shooting guns on county public lands are prohibited, except when hunting with a valid license. Restrictions also apply to smoking, welding and using chainsaws.
For more on the U.S. Forest Service restrictions, visit this page. More information on the county’s restrictions can be found here.
This year’s May and June were the driest such months on record for Boulder County, according to weather forecasters, putting Boulder into moderate drought for the first time since 2022. Historical data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates June 2024 was the tenth hottest on record.
