Las Animas County Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Remain in Effect This Spring

Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect across Las Animas County, with the Office of Emergency Management issuing a formal reminder on March 12 that spells out specific prohibitions and limited allowances aimed at reducing human-caused wildfires.

The notice does not mark the start of new restrictions but underscores that existing rules are still binding as vegetation dries heading into spring. The release enumerates what is and is not permitted under Stage 1, though the full list of prohibited activities and any exemptions was not publicly detailed in the county's announcement summary.

The reminder arrives as county officials have been building toward longer-term wildfire preparedness through the Las Animas County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Penny Bieber, who chairs the CWPP project committee, presented an update on the plan during the Las Animas County Commissioners' regular meeting on January 6, describing it as an ambitious undertaking for Colorado's southernmost county. A state representative attending that session called the plan "cutting-edge," and county officials have expressed hope that getting ahead of the CWPP process may position Las Animas County favorably even as unfunded state mandates loom.

At that January meeting, Bieber reported that consultants hired for the project have provided a report since being brought on, and that she also prepared a separate report for Chad Julian, the Colorado State Forest Service's principal investigator who is set to oversee implementation of a grant the county received.

Bieber also walked commissioners through a change order request covering FedEx costs for notification postcards, after the original local printer the project had planned to use was unavailable and had since been sold. She described it as a "pretty minor change" and said the consultants planned to "use their resources" to connect with FedEx. The switch turned out to be financially advantageous: "That actually saved us a good bit of money," Bieber said. In exchange for the consultants handling notification logistics, Bieber agreed to take on the organization's press release responsibilities.

The full text of the March 12 Stage 1 restrictions notice, including the specific list of prohibited activities and any enforcement details, is available through the Las Animas County Office of Emergency Management.