Eagle County goes to Stage 2 fire restrictions Friday
Restrictions will also apply to federal lands and towns
Eagle County will go to Stage 2 fire restrictions Friday. The restrictions take effect at 12:01 a.m. that day.
The restrictions tighten current restrictions in place. The new restrictions also mean a red-flag fire weather warning will move the county to a complete fire ban during the red flag periods.
The restrictions apply to all property in unincorporated Eagle County. The towns of Eagle, Vail and Avon will automatically move to the new restrictions. Gypsum is expected to follow suit Friday, but the move isn’t automatic.
The new restrictions include:
- A ban on all wood, charcoal and coal fires on public and private property.
- All fireworks are banned, including those usually allowed under state law.
- No outdoor smoking, unless you’re in a developed recreational site or in an area that’s cleared of all combustible materials.
- You can’t use an internal or external combustion engine — including chainsaws, generators and ATVs — unless it has a spark-arresting exhaust.
- A local fire department permit is required for any welding or operating an acetylene or other torch outdoors.
- Recreational shooting is banned on public or private land.
The Gypsum Shooting Sports Park is the exception to the final rule — at least for the moment.
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In an email, Gypsum Town Manager Jeremy Rietmann wrote the town range is considered “developed land,” with improvements designed to reduce the risk of wildfire.
In addition to the county and its towns, the entire White River National Forest will move to Stage 2 fire restrictions at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management are also going to Stage 2 restrictions at that time.
