Governor Hickenlooper signed an Executive Order on June 14, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. banning open burn and private use of fireworks. View the full
Executive Order D 2012-015.
The Directive:
A. Open burning is hereby prohibited in all counties in the State of Colorado.
B. Fore the purposes of this order, "open burning" means any outdoor fire, including but not limited to campfires, warming fires, charcoal grill fires, fused explosives, fireworks, and any other activity that poses a significant risk of starting a fire.
C. For the purposes of this order, "open burning" does not include fires in:
- liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves;
- fireplaces contained within buildings;
- charcoal grills at private residences;
- constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within developed camp and picnic grounds or recreation sites;
- commercial, professional and municipal fireworks displays where specific written approval has been granted by the sheriff of the county in which the fireworks display is to occur; and
- connection with prescribed or controlled burns for agricultural or irrigation purposes along ditches located within and completely surrounded by irrigated farmlands where such burning is necessary for crop survival and specific written approval has been granted by the sheriff of the county in which the prescribed burn is to occur.
D. Pursuant to C.R.S 23-31-306, this Executive Order shall be enforced by county sheriffs or by the sheriffs or by the administering agencies of the federal lands located within the state. This Executive Order is not intended to supersede more comprehensive or inclusive open burning restrictions that have been or may be established by Colorado counties, municipalities and/or other political subdivisions of the state of the state. Where permitted by law, counties and other local governments may ban any or all of the open burning exemptions listed in section II.C when local officials determine that a more restrictive ban is appropriate and warranted given fire danger conditions in their localities. An exemption to the open burning restrictions set forth in this order may be granted only by county sheriffs or, within federal lands, by the administering federal agency, and only if the proposed burn is deemed by said sheriff or agency to be safe and subject to mitigation. Should a wildfire occur as the result of the granting of an exemption to this order, the State of Colorado may, and likely would, deny access to state funds to pay for the costs of such a wildfire.
This Executive Order remains in effect until amended or rescinded by Executive Order.
