STAGE 2 fire restrictions in place on SLV public lands

SAN LUIS VALLEY— Due to the continued drying trend, the Rio Grande National Forest, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and Bureau of Land Management’s San Luis Valley Field Office have initiated Stage 2 fire restrictions.
Campfires, charcoal grills, and coal and wood burning stoves are prohibited including use in developed recreation sites. Devices using pressurized liquid or gas that include a shut-off valve are allowed.
Smoking is allowed only within an enclosed vehicle, trailer or building.
Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame is prohibited. Also prohibited are all explosives, including fireworks, exploding targets, and tracers or incendiary ammunition.
Operating or using any internal combustion engine, such as a chainsaw, generator or all-terrain vehicle is only allowed with a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order meeting USDA Forest Service or SAE approval. Additionally, chainsaw operators must have a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher and round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.
The entire Stage 2 fire restrictions order may be viewed on the Rio Grande National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/riogrande.
For more information, call the Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 719-852-5941.
To report a fire on federal lands, please contact the Pueblo Dispatch Fire Dispatch Center at 719-553-1600.