The Arapahoe County Open Burning Ban involving all open fires and open burning, issued by the Arapahoe County Sheriff, has been lifted in all areas west of Gun Club Road.
The ban remains in effect in areas east of Gun Club Road, including unincorporated Arapahoe County, the Town of Bennett, and the Town of Deer Trail. The modified Open Burning Ban will remain in effect until such time as this order is formally rescinded or temporarily suspended by the Sheriff.
Arapahoe County Sheriff David C. Walcher, in cooperation with local Fire Chiefs and Emergency Managers, has determined that existing conditions and fuel loads across the eastern portions of Arapahoe County continue to present a danger for the possibility of wildfire and large wild-land fires.
The authority to implement the Open Burning Ban within Unincorporated Arapahoe County is provided through Arapahoe County Ordinance #2000-02 and Colorado Revised Statutes 30-10512 and 30-15-401 (1)(n.5). The authority to implement the Open Burning Ban within the City of Centennial is provided through Colorado Revised Statutes 30-15-401(1)(n.5)(I) and 30-15401(8).
Prohibited open fires or open burning shall be defined as the usage of any fireworks, and any other outdoor fires including, but not limited to: campfires; fires in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within developed camp and picnic grounds or recreation sites, charcoal fueled fires, warming fires; fires in outdoor wood burning stoves (chimney sparks or embers); the prescribed burning of fence lines, fence rows, fields, farmlands, rangelands, wildlands, trash or debris.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Open Burning Ban is enforced as a County Ordinance violation that, upon conviction, could result in fines of $500.00 for the first offense, $750.00 for a second offense, and $1,000.00 for a third and subsequent offenses.
Exempt from the Open Burning Ban:
- Fires contained within liquid fueled or gas stoves, fireplaces and wood burning stoves/fireplaces within habitable buildings.
- Propane/LP/Natural Gas fueled barbeque grills used for cooking or warming food, which do not produce or emit sparks or embers when used.
- Charcoal fueled grills and pits used for cooking or warming food, which do not produce or emit sparks or embers when used.
- Propane/LP/Natural Gas fueled fire pits that do not produce or emit sparks or embers when used.
- Fire set by any federal, state, or local officer, or member of a fire protection district in the performance of an official duty.
- Public fireworks displays supervised by appropriate firefighting/public safety personnel and supported by adequate equipment assigned to be on the scene of such permitted public displays.