Reminder of burn restrictions with days of high fire danger in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- With high fire danger in the forecast for the remainder of the week, officials are reminding residents to adhere to the current Burn Restriction Order in Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department enacted burn restrictions on April 15 in response to "current and forecasted drought conditions, exceptionally dry fuel moisture levels, and increases in grass fire occurrence on undeveloped areas of Colorado Springs."

The fire department said burn restrictions are to increase caution when the weather is dry and windy, conditions that could cause a fire to spread rapidly if it were to start.

Sunny Smaldino with the Colorado Springs Fire Department said recent weather patterns put officials on high alert.

"When we go into burn restrictions that really means that our fuel moistures are low. And so that is one of the things we’ve been tracking and they’ve been diminishing over the past few weeks, so that’s concerning," Smaldino said.

The following is prohibited within the City of Colorado Springs:

• Any type of fire, whether open or contained, on any undeveloped wildland areas
• Brushy areas or grassy areas
• Recreational fires
• Bonfires
• Open or prescribed burns
• Outdoor smoking in all city parks and open spaces
• Small internal combustion engines operated without a properly installed, maintained, and
• Functioning spark arrestor
• Recreational fireworks/devices requiring ignition such as sparklers, snakes, aerials, comets,
• Flares, flyers, fountains, missiles, mortars, spinners, punks, rockets, shells, etc.
• Trash/rubbish burning

People can report suspected non-emergency violations of the Burn Restriction Order by calling 719-444-7000.

Thursday the Colorado Springs Fire Department said the fire danger was "high" and they expect it to be "high", if not worse, Friday.

The National Weather Service is projecting a High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warning for Friday, April 22, which can make fire danger worse.

Below is what is prohibited during a Burn Restriction Order:

• Outdoor cooking
  • BBQ grills that are fueled by wood, pellets, charcoal, and/or liquid propane gas, natural gas, or liquid fuel
• Outdoor fireplace/appliances
  • Any outdoor fire where the fire is contained in a portable or fixed fireplace/appliance. A spark arrestor, a device that prevents the emission of flammable debris, must be used when burning wood, pellets, or charcoal
• Designated smoking area
  • Outdoor smoking in designated areas only, not allowed in city-owned parks and open spaces
• Hot work, such as welding in forested or grassy areas, with a permit
• Model rocket launching with a permit
• Only permitted professional fireworks displays are allowed

For more information, click here.

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Story shot and edited by photojournalist Peter Miller.