With temperatures soaring across western Colorado and eastern Utah and summer monsoons not yet in sight, fire restrictions have gone into effect across many jurisdictions. On Monday, the Montezuma County commissioners imposed a fire ban generally prohibiting open fires and fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county. Beginning July 1st, Mesa Verde National Park will ban open fires, including in Morefield Campground and the Chapin Mesa picnic area. Stage 1 fire restrictions, the strictest, have already been implemented on the Navajo Nation. On the San Juan National Forest, no fire restrictions have been put in place, but officials are warning that some lower-elevation areas are very dry and that fire-patrol officers will be out in force over the Fourth of July weekend. All fireworks, including sparklers, are always illegal on national-forest lands. In eastern Utah, fire restrictions go into effect June 29th on BLM, state, and unincorporated private lands in a number of counties, including San Juan. Restrictions will also be in effect in Canyonlands and Arches national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments. Meanwhile, a small lightning-sparked blaze reported Friday on the San Juan National Forest near Ryman Creek is being allowed to burn while being managed for resource benefit. The high-elevation fire has caused some road and trail closures. The nation’s largest wildfire remained the Brian Head fire in far southwestern Utah, which reached 50,000 acres Tuesday.
Note: The Montezuma County Fire Ban will take effect July 1st.
