Five weeks of Stage 1 fire restrictions in Summit County will end at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 8, when the county moves to more stringent, Stage 2, restrictions. 

Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons spoke to the Summit Board of County Commissioners at its work session Tuesday, Aug. 5, pointing out that a week prior, the commissioners had talked about “maybe coming out of restrictions.”

“When we look at the science we always discuss, we were looking at — we were almost at the threshold of coming out of restrictions,” FitzSimons said. “Today, I’m here to talk to you about going to Stage 2 restrictions.”

Along with the restrictions change coming on Friday, the county’s fire danger adjective increased from “very high” to “extreme” Tuesday, according to Matt Benedict, a Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District division chief.

In an email, Benedict wrote that people should use caution with “any heat source outside” and prepare their homes or other property to interact with a wildfire by clearing its defensible space.

FitzSimons said the factors that influence fire restrictions now meet the criteria for Stage 2 restrictions. The energy release component, which quantifies the potential energy that could be released in an area, is forecast to reach 97%, the threshold for Stage 2, by Wednesday, Aug. 6. 

“They’re forecasted to stay there,” FitzSimons said. “Our forecast only goes out seven days, and they’re supposed to ping above 97% for the next seven days.”

Another factor, high human-caused risk, takes into account if there were recently human-caused fires and if there are events in the future that could attract large crowds. FitzSimons said fires burning elsewhere in western Colorado increase this risk factor.

Live fuel moisture, or the amount of water in living vegetation, have “absolutely exceeded” Stage 2 thresholds “for some time now,” FitzSimons said. Without moisture coming from storms, live fuel moisture levels will not improve, he added.

“We’re supposed to have, obviously, some record-breaking temperatures,” FitzSimons said about the weather forecast.

FitzSimons said Stage 2 restrictions will likely stay in place for a while, as he does not see much fire weather relief in the forecast. Summit County forecasts, he said, call for above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation for the next 30-60 days.

“Who knows what happened to the monsoon?” FitzSimons said. “As we’ve seen all summer, we’re guessing, but these are the predictions.”

Most counties and federal land management areas on the Western Slope either are already in Stage 2 restrictions or are moving to them this week, FitzSimons told the commissioners. He said Summit County has not been in Stage 2 restrictions since June 2021.

FitzSimons spoke about some of the changes Stage 2 restrictions bring in comparison to Stage 1. He said there are essentially no fires allowed under Stage 2 restrictions.

“The easiest way to think about it is an on-and-off switch,” FitzSimons said. “If you have something that’s gas fueled with an on-and-off switch, that’s allowed.”

The county shooting range near the landfill will be closed while Stage 2 restrictions are in place, FitzSimons said. He added that welding is restricted as well.

According to the county website, Stage 2 restrictions also ban open fires; campfires; smoking outside enclosed vehicles, buildings or designated areas; wood or charcoal grills or smokers; and hot air balloons. They also put restrictions on chainsaw and off-road vehicle usage.

“This is the time when we do use the word ‘ban,'” FitzSimons said. “Usually we use ‘restrictions,’ but in a Stage 2, fires are banned.”

The commissioners voted in a special meeting later Tuesday to pass a resolution officially entering the county into Stage 2 restrictions at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Learn more about restrictions at SummitSheriffColorado.gov.