Adams County Fire Restrictions apply to all areas of unincorporated Adams County. Incorporated government jurisdictions within Adams County may enact additional ordinances governing open or prescribed burning within their jurisdictional boundaries.
Levels of Burning Restrictions
Agricultural Burning: Burning of cover vegetation for the purpose of preparing the soil for crop production, weed control, or maintenance of water conveyance structures related to agricultural operations.
Fire Weather Watch: Conditions are favorable for red flag conditions in and close to the watch area in the next 12 to 48 hours, as defined by the National Weather Service.
Fire Weather Zone: Two fire zones within Adams County have been determined by the National Weather Service based upon elevation and weather patterns associated with the fuels and terrain located within these elevation ranges. These include: Fire Weather Zone 240 Latitude: 39.810N Longitude: -104.709W Elevation 5387 FT and Fire Weather Zone 245, Latitude 39.794N Longitude: -104190W Elevation 5049 FT.
High Wind Warning: One-minute average surface winds of35 kt (40 mph or 64 km/hr) or greater lasting for 1 hour or longer, or winds gusting to 50 kt (58 mph or 93 km/hr) or greater regardless of duration that are either expected or observed over land.
High Wind Watch: Conditions that are favorable for high winds in and close to the watch area in the next 12 to 48 hours.
Open Burning: A fire started and intentionally used for grassland or forest management, including vegetative, habitat, or fuel management. Open burning includes both broadcast and pile burning. Open Burning for purposes of permitting does not include:
- Agricultural burning.
- Smokeless flares or safety flares for the combustion of waste gases.
- Flares used to indicate danger.
- Emissions from fireplaces, fire pits, chimeneas or other wood burning containers that have been approved and used for non-commercial, recreational or aesthetic purposes using clean, dry, untreated wood or charcoal.
- Camp Fire: Any single fire, no larger than two (2) feet in diameter and three (3) feet high that is contained by a fireplace or fire pit, which is used for cooking, personal warmth, lighting, ceremonial or aesthetic purposes that is not within a building, mobile home or living accommodation or mounted on a motor vehicle. Camp fires include dry untreated wood fires, charcoal fires and portable gas stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized fuel.
- See more here.
Prescribed Burning: The controlled application of fire in accordance with a written prescription for wildland fuels under specified environmental conditions while following appropriate precautionary measures that ensure that the fire is confined to a predetermined area to accomplish the planned fire or land-management objectives.
Red Flag Warning: A forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service to inform area firefighting and land use management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire ignition and propagation.
Slash: Woody material less than six inches in diameter consisting of limbs, branches, and stems that are free of dirt. "Slash" does not include tree stumps, roots, or any other material.
