Fire Restrictions Ordered In Laramie County Starting Today

The Laramie County Commission has ordered the implementation of stage two fire restrictions.

The order was approved on Tuesday and took effect today.

You can read the order here.

The order follows a Friday grass fire that torched about 6,600 acres in the Horse Creek/Happy Jack Road area. Three homes were damaged, albeit not destroyed. Over 60 other properties were damaged, albeit in many cases the damage was minor, such as some burned grass. No fatalities were recorded, but subdivisions in the area were evacuated for several hours.

Here Are the Restrictions

Under the restrictions:

(a) Discharge of fireworks and all outdoor fires are prohibited in unimproved areas.

(b) All campfires are prohibited.

(c) Trash or refuse fires between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 am., inside containers provided with spark arresters and located within a cleared radius of a minimum of 15ft. of burnable materials.

( d) Charcoal fires within enclosed grills are permitted.

(e) Use of acetylene cutting torches, electric arc welders, or metal grinding in a cleared radius of 15ft. burnable materials are permitted.

(f) The use of portable stoves, lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stove and open fire branding activities in a cleared radius of 15ft of burnable materials is permitted.

(g) Devices using pressurized liquid or gas (stoves, grills or lanterns) that include shut-off valves are permitted when used in an area at least three feet or more from flammable material such as grasses or pine needles

Exceptions are in place for firefighters and law enforcement.