Fire officials urge caution this weekend
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CRAIG, Colo. – Fire officials with the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit are urging the public to be cautious this weekend as conditions continue to dry in northwestern Colorado.
“While conditions across the unit have not reached the critical point where fire restrictions are warranted, people need to be aware that fire danger is currently high,” said Fire Management Officer Colt Mortenson.
Precautions people should take include having a shovel and water on hand to extinguish campfires where permitted, avoiding parking in tall dry grass, or driving OHVs in areas where dry grass can be ignited by hot exhaust. It only takes one spark to start a wildfire – equipment should have working spark arresters and trailers should be inspected to ensure chains are not dragging.
So far this year the Northwest Unit has responded to 27 wildfires, 11 of which have been human-caused, including the 17,731-acre Dead Dog Fire near Rangely earlier this month.
Fireworks are always prohibited on lands managed by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service.
The State of Colorado maintains a website with the latest fire restrictions statewide: http://www.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.