The dry spell is over, and campfires are coming back to Summit County, but not everywhere, and not until this weekend.
Starting Friday, Aug. 29, Summit and Dillon Ranger District will lift Stage 2 fire restrictions. They have been in place for nearly a month.
That means you will be allowed to light campfires in a fire ring at established campgrounds and permitted backyard fire pits. Charcoal grills will be good to go again. Summit Shooting Range will reopen.
Still outlawed are open fires in the backcountry, smoking in the woods, and fireworks, which are banned permanently around here anyway. This local decision does not impact neighboring areas like Vail and Grand County, where Stage 2 restrictions remain in place.
Shifting sentiment
Fire managers are feeling optimistic about recent rain and a promising short-term forecast. National Weather Service is calling for moisture almost daily this week and into the Labor Day weekend.
The Krystalized weather station in Dillon has picked up more rain in three days than the previous four weeks.
Matt Benedict, at Red White & Blue Fire, warns we are not out of the woods yet. Fire danger will not be lifted completely until Summit is covered in snow.
September and October are historically two of the driest months in the High Country. The Ptarmigan Fire of 2021 sparked in late September – and conditions this summer are eerily similar to that year.