Los Alamos County enters Stage 1 fire restrictions amid dry, windy conditions

A single backyard burn or campsite flame can now bring a citation in Los Alamos County. Stage 1 fire restrictions took effect April 28 after Fire Marshal Colorado Cordova cited dry fuels and high winds, tightening the rules on open flames, outdoor cooking, and other ignition sources across the county.

Under the order, residents cannot build, maintain or use outdoor fires, including campfires and recreational fires, unless the fire is in a developed campground or picnic area open to the public and contained in a structure designed for fire containment, such as a metal ring or fire pit. Fires may also be allowed on sites free of nearby vegetation and combustible materials if a spark arrestor screen is in place. Outdoor cooking is limited to devices made for that purpose, including charcoal grills, propane grills with lids, pellet stoves and electric cooking devices.

Even when a fire or grill is allowed, it cannot be left alone. The county says it must be watched during use and after use, and a portable extinguisher, a hose with water or a shovel with enough dirt must be kept nearby to put it out. The county warned that violations can lead to written citations and criminal penalties, and Cordova urged residents to call 911 immediately if they see smoke or fire before a small incident becomes a larger one.

The county said the restrictions are meant to safeguard public health and safety and protect lands, structures, natural and historical artifacts. The timing underscores how seriously local officials track wildfire danger in a county where neighborhoods, canyons and historic sites sit close together. Los Alamos Fire Department says it covers 109 square miles, including service to Los Alamos National Laboratory, and has 11 wildland-urban-interface suppression apparatus in its fleet.

The move also sits on top of broader fire limits already in place statewide. New Mexico’s State Forester had enacted restrictions on non-federal, non-Tribal and non-municipal lands effective April 6, banning smoking, fireworks, campfires, prescribed and open burning, debris burning and some gas flaring. For Los Alamos, the concern is not abstract: the Las Conchas Fire started June 26, 2011, burned more than 156,000 acres and became the largest wildfire in New Mexico history at the time, with more than 75% of Frijoles Canyon inside its footprint. Los Alamos County entered Stage 1 restrictions in May 2025 under similar dry-and-windy conditions, and its 2022 Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies wildland fuels, weather and climate, topography and ignition risk as central hazards.