Complete fire ban in county

RBC I Effective as of Monday morning, Rio Blanco County and the Town of Meeker had instituted Stage One Fire Restrictions for the entire county.
Under those restrictions, the following acts are prohibited on private and state lands located in unincorporated areas, including, roads, trails described herein, until further notice:
• Personal use/ignition of fireworks. Professional fireworks shows and displays are permitted.
• Trash or refuse fires between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., except inside containers provided with spark arresters and located within a cleared area 10 feet in radius.
• Building or using any open fire or camp fire, except within agency-provided fire grates at developed campgrounds or within private-owned fully enclosed stoves, grills, fire grates or in stoves using pressurized liquid or gas. Charcoal fires within enclosed grills are permitted.
• Use of acetylene cutting torches or electric arc welders, except in a cleared area 10 feet in radius.
• Propane or open fire branding activities in cleared areas 10 feet in radius are permitted.
• Smoking cigarettes, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, developed recreation site or while stopped in a cleared area of at least three feet in diameter that is barren and cleared of all flammable material.
• Operating a chainsaw without a properly installed USDA- or SAE-approved spark arresting device, a five pound fire extinguisher and a shovel.
• Using explosives requiring fuses or electric blasting caps, except by professional companies using standard fire safety plans.
The fire ban will continue until changes are announced by the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office.