White River National Forest, Bureau of Land Management to lift fire restrictions

The White River National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Upper Colorado River District will lift fire restrictions on Friday due to current conditions.

“It’s nice to see a return of conditions that don’t warrant fire restrictions,” said BLM Upper Colorado River District Manager Greg Larson in a press release. “Please remember that lower fire danger doesn’t mean no fire danger — stay vigilant, and use common sense with fire.”

Even without fire restrictions, the public is asked to be mindful of best practices.

“Morning warming campfires are especially nice this time of year, but please ensure your campfire is out and cold to the touch before leaving camp in the morning,” said White River National Forest Supervisor Brian Glaspell in the release.

Agencies could always reinstate restrictions if conditions change. Officials consider several criteria when determining the need for fire restrictions, the press release states, including current and anticipated fire danger, resource availability, and consistency with neighboring jurisdictions.

“Local, county, state, and federal officials within this area evaluate and coordinate fire restrictions weekly during fire season,” the press release reads.

All fire restrictions in place will be posted at fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts for the White River National Forest and at blm.gov/ucr-fire-restrictions for the Upper Colorado River District BLM. 

The Upper Colorado River District includes the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Field Offices.