Dry winter leads to early fire restriction discussion

Campfire safety is critical

[  by Mark Reaman  ]

Facebook Post on March 30, 2026: At approximately 7 p.m. this evening, Crested Butte Fire Protection District crews were dispatched to a report of an unattended campfire at a campground on Cement Creek. Upon arrival, crews found a smoldering log with visible flames and embers. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and ensured the area was safe with no remaining hazards. Always fully extinguish campfires, never leave them unattended, and make sure they are cold to the touch before leaving. Thank you for doing your part to keep Crested Butte safe.

Safety officials in Gunnison County are aware of the unusual dry weather circumstances and plan to formally start conversations about possible fire restrictions as winter, what there was of it, begins to wind down despite a last-minute storm this week.

“We have been closely monitoring the weather and fire starts, knowing there is a possibility that restrictions could start earlier this year,” Gunnison County emergency management director Lisa Bickford said in conjunction with sheriff Adam Murdie. “We will be kicking off conversations (this) week, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the criteria are currently met to go into restrictions, but we are definitely starting the conversations a bit earlier than usual.”

She said the ultimate authority to go in or out of restrictions for unincorporated Gunnison County is the sheriff. The federal land agencies can act independently of the county, although all the entities try to coordinate the restrictions in order to minimize public confusion.

“The county has a strong system in place to work with fire districts and land managers to determine the need for fire restrictions,” Bickford explained in an email. “We convene a group named the Gunnison Basin Wildfire Council that is made up of local, state and federal agencies related to wildfire response and land management.”

There are several criteria that the group utilizes to determine to go in or out of fire restrictions. Simply stated, the criteria are:
• Does the county have adequate local resources to effectively respond to a fire?
•Is the risk of human-caused fires high or projected to increase?
•Weather and fuel moisture measurements.
•Are federal partners, such as the BLM and USFS, going into/out of restrictions?”

Gunnison forest ranger Dayle Funka also said fire restriction decisions in the area are “a group discussion/decision with many stakeholders.” She forwarded specific questions to a USFS public affairs officer who did not respond as of press time.

Steve Hall, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), would only say the agency currently does not have restrictions on BLM public lands.

Bickford said she has not heard of any intentions to limit camping in the area this summer. “However, with the weather and early opening of Hartman’s, campers are already out there and campfire safety/wildfire education is critical! Some reminders for people would be: Ensure no local fire restrictions are in place; ensure the area is free of surrounding flammable materials; never leave a campfire unattended; always have water and a shovel nearby; ensure the fire is completely out and cold to the touch; no open burning on red flag days.”

Bickford noted, “People can find current fire restriction information on the Emergency Management webpage https://gunnisoncounty.org/1121/Current-Fire-Restrictions as well as a recorded line at 970-642-4686. They can also call the Sheriff’s Office at 970-641-1113. We will also post on social media and around town when going in/out of restrictions.”

Gunnison County and a number of partner agencies are hosting a community wildfire mitigation workshop on April 25 that is geared towards private property owners that are interested in learning about how to mitigate their property. Bickford relayed that there will be educational resources and equipment demos, as well as a raffle for prizes. She said it is a great opportunity for community members to get information for all things wildfire.