Penalties increased for leaving a Colorado campfire unattended in grasslands or forests | AspenTimes.com

Penalties increased for leaving a Colorado campfire unattended in grasslands or forests

Violators can be hit with a maximum fine of $750, or six months in jail or both

News | July 2, 2018

Jesse Paul
The Denver Post
This photo provided by the Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management shows a wildfire burning near Forbes Park in southern Colorado on June 28.
DHSEM via AP

The penalties for leaving a campfire unattended or not fully extinguishedin grasslands or a forest just became stiffer in Colorado under a new state law that went into effect Sunday.

Under House Bill 1051, passed during the 2018 legislative session, violators will be hit with a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $750, six months in jail or both.

That’s a steep increase from the $50 fine that came with leaving a campfire unattended or not fully extinguished before.

“We realized that the penalty for leaving a fire unattended was ridiculously low,” state Rep. Millie Hamner, D-Dillon, said on Monday.

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