Albany County Commissioners Ban Fireworks, Impose Fire Restrictions Amid Dry Conditions

The Albany County Board of County Commissioners banned all outdoor fires, the discharge of common and display fireworks, and the use of incendiary or tracer ammunition in the unincorporated area of Albany County, with restrictions beginning March 25, 2026 and running no later than November 1, 2026 unless the County Fire Warden lifts or reimimposes them sooner.

The move came as the broader region buckled under exceptional fire weather. Most of Wyoming was in a moderate to severe drought as of a March 17 report, and though the state had dodged catastrophic wildfires so far this year, it faces a particularly precarious situation. Wyoming saw its first red flag warning of 2026 on Feb. 15, the earliest on record, according to meteorologist Lance VandenBoogart of the National Weather Service's Riverton office, who said the office had already issued five red flag warnings by mid-March. Those warnings typically don't begin until May.

A grass fire approximately 20 miles southwest of Laramie had already prompted mandatory evacuations in mid-March, burning just over 32 acres before it was fully contained as of March 12. The commissioners' resolution cited a heavy fuel load and dry conditions throughout northern Albany County as creating a potentially severe to extreme fire situation that could over-extend the firefighting capability of local government.

The resolution's prohibition is sweeping by design: it covers both Division 1.4 common fireworks and Division 1.3 display fireworks, explosives broadly, and the discharge of firearms using incendiary or tracer rounds. The order does carve out a set of conditions under which certain fire-adjacent activities remain permitted. Trash or refuse fires are allowed between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. only, inside containers fitted with a spark arrester screen, within a cleared ten-foot radius, with fire suppression means on site. Attended campfires in established fire rings are permitted, but may not exceed three feet in radius and must also be surrounded by a ten-foot cleared area. Charcoal, pellet, and propane fires inside enclosed grills are allowed under the same ten-foot and fire suppression requirements. Welders, acetylene cutting torches, and propane or open branding operations may continue under identical conditions. ATVs, motorcycles, and other internal or external combustion engines must carry approved spark arrestors, as must any chainsaw in operation.

Violations are punishable under Wyoming Statute § 35-9-304 by up to 30 days in jail and a $100 fine, or both, in addition to restitution for the cost of fire suppression and damages caused. Those suppression and damage costs can easily total into the tens of thousands of dollars or much more.

The County Fire Warden retains authority to temporarily lift or reimpose the restrictions, and the resolution's stated purpose is to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of people within Albany County in response to a serious and immediate community concern. Privately owned land within Albany County falls under the order; fireworks are allowed on private property only when fire restrictions have not been put in place by the Albany County Commissioners.

Questions about the current restrictions can be directed to the Albany County Fire Warden at (307) 760-1810.