The Montezuma County commissioners on Monday voted 2-1 to approve a modified fire ban ordinance.<\/p>\n
Commissioners Keenan Ertel and James Lambert voted for the modified ordinance. Larry Don Suckla opposed it, stating that the old one was sufficient.<\/p>\n
When commissioners and fire chiefs enact the ban, open fires, burning fields and ditches, and the use of fireworks are prohibited in unincorporated areas of the county.<\/p>\n
Key changes are the rules for what constitutes an open fire.<\/p>\n
The old ordinance described it as \u201cAny fire in an outdoor location that is not contained in an enclosed incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill, or barbecue pit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are times when a farmer has to burn off a swampy field, and he needs a 30-plus mile-per-hour wind to get it going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The new ordinance eliminates that sentence and adds a detailed list to what is allowed during a fire ban.<\/p>\n
Burn barrels are now allowed if they are equipped with a \u00bc-inch screen and are used within a 20-foot radius free of vegetation.<\/p>\n
Residential charcoal and gas barbecue grills are OK to use during a ban.<\/p>\n
Welding and use of a acetylene torch are allowed if in a 20-foot radius free of vegetation. Hand tools and fire extinguishers, or pressurized water, must be nearby.<\/p>\n
In the case of the oil-and-gas industry, welding can continue and must comply with state standards, and be done in an 20-foot radius free of vegetation.<\/p>\n
Regardless if there is a county fire ban or not, when the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Day there shall be no open burning, with the noted exceptions.<\/p>\n
A Red Flag Day happens when there is a high wind advisory (sustained winds of 30-39 mph) or a high wind warning (sustained winds over 40 mph).<\/p>\n
When a fire ban is not in place, any person burning their fields, ditches, or waste piles, are required to notify Dispatch at (970) 565-8441.<\/p>\n
Violations of the county fire ban ordinance are not to exceed $1,000 for each separate violation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new ordinance reduces confusion and outlines what is specifically allowed during a fire ban,\u201d said county emergency planner Paul Hollar. \u201cIt is not meant to be more regulatory, rather it helps to reduce our risk for wildfire.\u201d<\/p>\n