Baca County Fire Restrictions & Burn Bans
➜ View the current Baca County status on the live map
BurnBound monitors official Baca County sources continuously and shows the current restriction status — alongside overlapping federal, state, and fire-district restrictions — on one color-coded map. Fire restrictions change quickly during Colorado's fire season, so always check the live map or the county's official channels before lighting any fire.
Who issues fire restrictions in Baca County?
In Colorado, county-level fire restrictions for unincorporated areas are typically enacted by the Board of County Commissioners or the County Sheriff under C.R.S. §30-15-401 and §30-10-512/513. Within Baca County, separate authorities can impose their own rules at the same time: fire protection districts (under C.R.S. Title 32), the U.S. Forest Service and BLM on federal land, Colorado Parks & Wildlife in state parks, and municipalities inside their town limits. That's why one spot on the map can carry several overlapping restrictions — BurnBound shows each one separately.
Baca County's recorded statutory authority is C.R.S. § 30-15-401(1)(n.5). To confirm current restrictions by phone, the county office on record is 719-523-4511.
Do Baca County restrictions apply on federal land?
Baca County's fire restrictions extend to federal lands within the county. Where the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, or National Park Service also has an order in effect, the federal order governs on that federal ground.
Official Baca County sources
Fire protection districts in Baca County
Every Colorado fire protection district can set its own fire restrictions independently of the county (C.R.S. Title 32) — most align with the county, but always check the district covering your exact location on the live map.
Federal & state lands overlapping Baca County
These agencies set their own fire restrictions on the lands they manage inside the county — independent of any county order:
- U.S. Forest Service: Comanche Ranger District
Baca County fire-restriction rules by stage
Stage I Fire Ban (Stage 1)
Prohibited:
- fires, campfires, coal or wood stoves, fireplaces, or open fires of any type outdoors in undeveloped areas
- all burning of trash, refuse or debris
- smoking except in enclosed vehicle/building or cleared area
- explosive materials including fireworks, solid fuel rockets, blasting caps
- sale, possession and use of fireworks
- outdoor welding/grinding/torch use without water supply or extinguisher
- internal combustion engines in undeveloped areas without spark-arresting device
Allowed:
- campfires in constructed permanent fire pits/grates within developed recreation areas (prohibited during Red Flag Warnings)
- enclosed grills using propane or other bottled fuels in areas free of flammable vegetation
- enclosed charcoal- or wood-fueled grills in cleared areas (prohibited during Red Flag Warnings)
- smoking within enclosed vehicle/building or cleared/hard-surfaced outdoor area
- welding/torch work with adequate water supply and/or fire extinguisher on site
Propane fire pits: permitted · Developed-campground fires: permitted
Enclosed grills using propane and other bottled fuels allowed, but only in areas free of flammable vegetation
Source: Ordinance No. 7 (posted 2026-04-29); Red Flag Warning auto-triggers Stage I county-wide
Stage II Fire Ban (Stage 2)
Prohibited:
- all Stage I prohibited activities
- fires, campfires, coal/wood-burning stoves, charcoal- or wood-fueled cooking, or open fires of any type at any location
- off-road use or parking of motor vehicles where sparks/exhaust heat could ignite vegetation
- campground fires
- propane fire pits (only propane GRILLS are excepted; a fire-pit flame falls under 'open fires of any type at any location')
Allowed:
- grills using propane or other bottled fuels in areas free of flammable vegetation, attended, with water supply and/or fire extinguisher on site
- indoor coal/wood stove or fireplace only with NFPA-approved spark arrestor (chimney cap)
Propane fire pits: not permitted · Developed-campground fires: not permitted
Stage III Fire Ban (Closure)
Prohibited:
- all Stage I and Stage II restricted activities
- all open burning of any kind
- entry onto closed public lands (except written-permit holders from the Sheriff, officials, organized search/rescue and firefighting forces, and resident landowners/lessees)
Propane fire pits: not permitted · Developed-campground fires: not permitted
Source: Ordinance No. 7 — Stage III closes public lands to entry (genuine area closure)
No Fire Restrictions (Normal conditions (no restrictions declared))
Propane fire pits: permitted · Developed-campground fires: permitted
Rules content verified against primary sources on 2026-07-04.
Rules apply as written in each order — the county's current order always controls. This page never shows live status; check the live map for what is in effect right now.
Exact rules vary by jurisdiction and by order — the map's popup links the official order for Baca County whenever one is published. See the full guide to Colorado fire restrictions for details, penalties, and propane specifics.