Press Release
For Immediate Release Pitkin County Sheriff announces Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Effective 12:00 a.m. July 01, 2017 Pitkin County, Colorado – June 29, 2017 –The Pitkin County Sheriff, with the support of all Fire Chiefs of Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt, and Carbondale, is imposing Stage 1 fire restrictions due to the unseasonably warm weather and lack of moisture this summer. The fuel moisture content of trees, grass and brush is significantly low and at risk of a devastating fire. The health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Pitkin County require that the use of open fires, equipment, and explosives be regulated in order to prevent wildfires under existing conditions. The following open fire restrictions shall apply on all private and state lands in Pitkin County. The fire restrictions shall apply to the following persons and activities: A. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site, or improved site to include a fire ring/pit. B. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. C. Operating or using an internal or external combustion engine without an approved spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order meeting either the USDA Forest Service Standards or appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practices. D. Use of any personal fireworks or explosive requiring fuses or blasting caps, including exploding targets, as defined by Colorado Revised Statute 12-28-101 (8). The restrictions stated above exclude the following: 1. Persons with a valid written permit from the Pitkin County Sheriff, or the fire district within which the fire is to occur specifically authorizing the prohibited act. 2. Any Federal, State, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty. 3. Any fires contained within a liquid fuel or gas fuel stove, fireplaces within buildings, charcoal grill fires at private residences, and fires located within permanent fire pits or fire grates to the extent those pits or grates are located in developed picnic grounds, campgrounds or recreational sites. 4. Burning of irrigation ditches located within and completely surrounded by irrigated farmlands, where such burning is necessary for crop survival, and a specific written permit has been granted for such burning, in advance, by the fire district having jurisdiction. 5. Campfires or bonfires required in religious ceremonies, for which a Federal agency, the Fire District and the County Sheriff has granted a valid written permit in advance. Knowingly or recklessly burning during the restriction period is illegal and legal actions may be taken against individuals in violation under CRS 30-15-410 and Pitkin County Resolution 96. The temporary restrictions are in effect until further notice. If you have any questions please contact your local fire district, district Ranger or the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office at: Aspen Fire Protection District -- 970-925-5532 Basalt & Rural Fire Protection District -- 970-704-0675 Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District -- 970-963-2491 Snowmass/Wildcat Fire Protection District -- 970-923-2212 Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office -- 970-920-5300 White River National Forest -- 970-963-2255 For Immediate Release
Pitkin County Sheriff announces Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Effective 12:00 a.m. July 01, 2017 Pitkin County, Colorado – June 29, 2017 –The Pitkin County Sheriff, with the support of all Fire Chiefs of Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt, and Carbondale, is imposing Stage 1 fire restrictions due to the unseasonably warm weather and lack of moisture this summer. The fuel moisture content of trees, grass and brush is significantly low and at risk of a devastating fire. The health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Pitkin County require that the use of open fires, equipment, and explosives be regulated in order to prevent wildfires under existing conditions. The following open fire restrictions shall apply on all private and state lands in Pitkin County. The fire restrictions shall apply to the following persons and activities: A. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site, or improved site to include a fire ring/pit. B. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area of at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. C. Operating or using an internal or external combustion engine without an approved spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order meeting either the USDA Forest Service Standards or appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practices. D. Use of any personal fireworks or explosive requiring fuses or blasting caps, including exploding targets, as defined by Colorado Revised Statute 12-28-101 (8). The restrictions stated above exclude the following: 1. Persons with a valid written permit from the Pitkin County Sheriff, or the fire district within which the fire is to occur specifically authorizing the prohibited act. 2. Any Federal, State, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty. 3. Any fires contained within a liquid fuel or gas fuel stove, fireplaces within buildings, charcoal grill fires at private residences, and fires located within permanent fire pits or fire grates to the extent those pits or grates are located in developed picnic grounds, campgrounds or recreational sites. 4. Burning of irrigation ditches located within and completely surrounded by irrigated farmlands, where such burning is necessary for crop survival, and a specific written permit has been granted for such burning, in advance, by the fire district having jurisdiction. 5. Campfires or bonfires required in religious ceremonies, for which a Federal agency, the Fire District and the County Sheriff has granted a valid written permit in advance. Knowingly or recklessly burning during the restriction period is illegal and legal actions may be taken against individuals in violation under CRS 30-15-410 and Pitkin County Resolution 96. The temporary restrictions are in effect until further notice. If you have any questions please contact your local fire district, district Ranger or the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office at: Aspen Fire Protection District -- 970-925-5532Basalt & Rural Fire Protection District -- 970-704-0675 Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District -- 970-963-2491 Snowmass/Wildcat Fire Protection District -- 970-923-2212 Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office -- 970-920-5300 White River National Forest -- 970-963-2255 837 AM MDT Mon June 19, 2017
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction, CO has issued a Flood Advisory for the Roaring Fork River near Aspen until Friday evening. At 7 a.m. Monday 6/19/2017 the state was 4.3 feet. Bankfull stage is 4.0 feet. Flood Stage is 5.0 feet. Forecast: The river will remain at this level for most of the week. River levels in the Roaring Fork River are expected to significantly increase by midweek next week when water diversions to Twin Lakes Reservoir are halted. According to Twin Lakes Canal Company General Manager Bruce Hughes the reservoir is expected to fill to capacity sometime between next Tuesday and Thursday.
“The 625 CFS that is normally diverted to Twin Lakes will be sent down the Roaring Fork adding to its already peak runoff flow for at least two to three weeks,” Hughes said. This isn’t something we need to do every year but it’s the third year in a row that we’ve had to do it.” The upper Roaring Fork near Aspen was running at 362 CFS on Thursday morning. When flows reach the vicinity of 1,000 CFS in the upper Roaring Fork next week, some natural flooding on the North Star Nature Preserve east of Aspen is expected. “We just want recreationalists and property owners along the river to be aware that there will be a dramatic increase in the river level next week when the diversions to Twin Lakes are discontinued,” said Pitkin County Emergency Manager, Valerie MacDonald. “Our Incident Management Team is keeping an eye on the weather and river levels and will alert the public if we anticipate any significant flooding,” MacDonald said. Downvalley, the Frying Pan River is currently running at approximately 600 cfs where it meets the Roaring Fork in the Town of Basalt. According to officials at the Bureau of Reclamation, releases from Ruedi Reservoir into the Frying Pan will be decreased from 625 CFS to 265 CFS between now and Sunday. “That’s fortuitous timing for Basalt where the Fryingpan and the Roaring Fork meet,” MacDonald said. “It reduces the chances for flooding at that confluence.” Ruedi Reservoir is currently 80% full. Additional releases into the Fryingpan this runoff season are not anticipated. The public is encouraged to sign up for Pitkin Alert at www.pitkinalert.org to receive emergent updates. Roaring Fork Watershed stream flow reports can be found at www.roaringfork.org. Information about flood preparedness can be found at www.pitkinemergency.org. Officials are also asking residents and visitors to take caution around rivers and streams during peak runoff. |
|