El Paso County Fire Ban: Stages, Fines, and How to Check

An El Paso County fire ban comes in two tiers set by the El Paso County Sheriff, who acts as the county’s fire warden. Stage I limits open burning, smoking outdoors, and fireworks but still permits charcoal and propane grilling at private homes with proper clearance. Stage II bans nearly all outdoor fire, including charcoal grills, and leaves only propane and natural gas appliances, indoor fireplaces, and tightly controlled welding on the list of what you can still do. Violations run up to $1,000 per incident.1El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. El Paso County Open Burning Ordinance 22-001 The restrictions only cover unincorporated areas of the county.2El Paso County. El Paso County Open Fire and Open Burning Restriction Ordinance

The current stage, if any, is posted on the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office fire information page.3El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Fire Information Open burning is also prohibited whenever the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning, whether or not a formal stage is active.

What Stage I Restricts

Stage I is the lighter of the two tiers. It targets the activities that start most accidental wildfires while leaving residential cooking largely alone. Under Stage I:4El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Stage I Fire Restrictions Reinstated for El Paso County

  • Campfires are allowed only inside permanently constructed fire grates at developed campgrounds and picnic areas, with at least three feet of clearance from anything flammable. Rock fire rings do not count.
  • Smoking outdoors is allowed only in an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or while standing in a cleared spot at least three feet across.
  • Selling and using any fireworks is banned.
  • Any previously issued permits for prescribed burns are revoked once Stage I takes effect.
  • Chainsaws, off-road vehicles, and other internal combustion equipment cannot be operated outdoors without a working spark-arresting device.
  • Outdoor welding and open-flame torch work are prohibited unless the area has been cleared of vegetation.

Charcoal grills, pellet stoves, chimineas, and similar appliances using clean solid fuel remain legal at private homes, developed campgrounds, and picnic areas during Stage I, as long as you keep three feet of clearance in every direction. Propane and natural gas appliances are also fine with the same clearance and flame lengths kept under two feet.3El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Fire Information

What Stage II Restricts

Stage II shuts down almost all outdoor flame. Everything prohibited under Stage I stays prohibited, and the ban widens to cover:3El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Fire Information

  • All open fires and campfires, including those in permanent fire grates.
  • Charcoal grills, pellet stoves, chimineas, and similar solid-fuel appliances. This is the biggest practical change from Stage I.
  • Outdoor pyrotechnics and exploding targets.
  • Fireworks of any kind, same as Stage I.

What You Can Still Do Under Stage II

A short list of activities survives the stricter stage, each tied to specific safety conditions:5El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Joseph Roybal Implements Stage II Fire Restrictions Amid Continued High Fire Danger

  • Propane, natural gas, and other liquid-fueled stoves, fire pits, and grills at private homes, developed campgrounds, and picnic grounds. You need three feet of clearance in all directions, flame lengths no taller than two feet, and a shut-off mechanism such as a valve or a tip-over safety switch.
  • Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces inside a building.
  • Outdoor welding and torch work, but only inside a cleared area at least 30 feet across, with a dedicated fire watch who has immediate access to a fire extinguisher or water.

The propane carve-out is the detail that matters most for homeowners. If your grill runs on propane or natural gas and has a working shut-off, you can still cook outside during Stage II. A charcoal grill sitting next to it on the same patio is off-limits.

Where the Ban Applies and Where It Doesn’t

The county’s fire restrictions cover unincorporated areas only. That includes private property, county-managed public land, and applicable state and federal parcels within those boundaries.2El Paso County. El Paso County Open Fire and Open Burning Restriction Ordinance Communities like Black Forest, Peyton, and Cimarron Hills fall under the county rules.

Incorporated cities inside the county, including Colorado Springs, Monument, and Fountain, run their own fire codes and declare bans on their own timelines. Living in El Paso County does not automatically mean the county ban applies to your address. Check whether you sit inside a municipality or on unincorporated land before relying on either set of rules.

Federal land is a third system. Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Bureau of Land Management parcels within the county follow their own restriction schedules, which don’t always match the county’s.6Colorado Emergency Management. Fire Restrictions Federal restrictions can stay in place after the county lifts its own, and vice versa. If you’re camping or hiking on federal ground, check the managing agency separately.

Fines for Breaking the Ban

A fire ban violation is a civil infraction under the county’s open burning ordinance. The fine depends on the active stage, not on your record:1El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. El Paso County Open Burning Ordinance 22-001

  • Stage I: up to $600 per violation, set by the County Court.
  • Stage II: up to $1,000 per violation.
  • Penalty assessment: if you plead guilty and pay without a court appearance, the fine is $100 during Stage I or $500 during Stage II, plus a $10 surcharge.

Each separate violation is its own offense. One afternoon could produce multiple fines if you break more than one rule, and the Sheriff’s Office can issue summonses on the spot. Colorado law caps county ordinance fines at $1,000 per violation.7Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 30-15-402 – Violations

If the Fire Actually Spreads

The county fine is the smaller problem if a prohibited fire gets away from you. Under Colorado law, anyone who sets a fire that damages another person’s property is liable for the full cost of that damage. If the governor has declared a drought emergency when the fire starts, damages triple. Agricultural burns and state-authorized fire management are exempt from the treble-damages rule.8Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 13-21-105

Criminal charges are also on the table. Colorado’s fourth-degree arson statute makes it a class 4 felony to knowingly or recklessly start or maintain a fire that endangers another person. If only property is at risk, the felony class scales with the value of the endangered property, from a petty offense below $300 up to a class 2 felony at $1 million or more.9FindLaw. Colorado Revised Statutes 18-4-105 – Fourth Degree Arson In a county where homes sit next to wildland fuels, a small escaped fire can threaten millions of dollars in property quickly.

How to Check Whether a Ban Is in Effect Right Now

The Sheriff’s Office fire information page lists the current stage, or confirms that no restrictions are active.3El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Fire Information The office also posts changes on social media, and residents can sign up for mobile emergency alerts.

For federal land inside the county, the Colorado Emergency Management fire restrictions page links to current status maps for Pike and San Isabel National Forests and the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office.6Colorado Emergency Management. Fire Restrictions Checking both the county and the relevant federal agency before you head outdoors takes a minute and settles the question.