GarCo and BLM Colorado River Valley Fire Restrictions to be lifted

July 29, 2013

Contact: David Boyd, Public Information Officer, 970 876-9008

Walt Stowe, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, 970 665-0207

Fire restrictions to be lifted Wednesday for Garfield County

and BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office

SILT, Colo. – Stage 1 fire restrictions will be lifted effective Wednesday, July 31, for private lands within Garfield County and Bureau of Land Management lands managed by the Colorado River Valley Field Office. The BLM Grand Junction Field Office and Mesa County are also lifting fire restrictions effective Wednesday.

In addition to private lands in Garfield and Mesa counties, all BLM lands in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Pitkin and Routt counties will be out of fire restrictions on Wednesday. Fire conditions vary by elevation and area, and the White River National Forest, Eagle County and Pitkin County did not enact stage 1 fire restrictions this year. Routt County lifted their restrictions last week.

Fire managers base decisions about fire restrictions on specific moisture measurements in vegetation and other risk factors. Recent moisture in much of northwestern Colorado has significantly lowered the fire danger, but land managers still urge the public to remain vigilant with fire.

"Lower fire danger does not mean no fire danger," said Steve Bennett, field manager for the BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office.

Fireworks are always prohibited on BLM, National Forest and National Park Service lands.

For more information about fire restrictions in these areas, log on to

http://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2gjc/ or call the Colorado River Valley Field Office at (970) 876-9000.

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