The Mesa County Sheriff, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction Field Office, Colorado National Monument, and the Fire Chiefs representing municipalities and fire protection districts of Mesa County will reduce all Fire Restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1 Fire Restrictions effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2026. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions restrictions apply to all private land and BLM managed public lands within the boundaries of the Grand Junction Field Office, which includes Mesa County. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests rescinded all Stage 1 Fire Restrictions as of September 3, 2026. For information on Fire Restrictions on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, please visit the USDA Forest Service website.

Fire restrictions are implemented based on specific criteria, including the moisture content of vegetation, weather outlooks, and human risk factors. Please review the information below for prohibited actions and activities while in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions prohibit:

• Personal use of fireworks
• Campfires outside of designated fire pits or fire rings
• Agricultural open burning without a Sheriff’s issued burn permit
• Use of explosive targets
• Smoking outside near combustible materials
• Operating or using any internal combustion engine, such as chainsaws, without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order.
• Welding or operating Acetylene or other torches with an open flame except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter, you MUST have a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher.

Despite recent rainfall and cooler temperatures, sustained dry conditions and high temperatures prior have led to chronically dry conditions. A single spark still has the potential to cause a dangerous fire and spread quickly. In addition to adhering to fire restrictions, community members are asked to be aware of all other potential fire dangers when outdoors. A spark from a dragging chain on a trailer or even a hot exhaust pipe from a car parked in tall grass poses a significant fire risk. Cigarettes must be disposed of in proper receptacles and campfires must never be left unattended.

View the Interactive Fire Restrictions Map on the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office website for the latest information on Fire Restrictions in Mesa County and surrounding communities.