Lake County Fire Restrictions & Burn Bans
➜ View the current Lake County status on the live map
BurnBound monitors official Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake 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.
Lake County's recorded statutory authority is C.R.S. § 30-10-512. To confirm current restrictions by phone, the county office on record is 719-486-2990.
Do Lake County restrictions apply on federal land?
Lake County's order does not address federal land, so a county restriction may apply on federal ground within the county — verify with the sheriff or the managing agency. Federal agencies (USFS, BLM, NPS) also set their own rules on their land.
Official Lake County sources
Federal & state lands overlapping Lake County
These agencies set their own fire restrictions on the lands they manage inside the county — independent of any county order:
- Bureau of Land Management: Royal Gorge Field Office
- U.S. Forest Service: Leadville Ranger District
Lake County fire-restriction rules by stage
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions (Stage 1)
Prohibited:
- open burning
- campfires in rock rings
- smoking outside vehicles or cleared areas
Allowed:
- campfires in approved fire rings or permanent fire pits
- propane fire pits
- gas fueled stoves/grills
- camp stoves
- campground fires in developed sites
Propane fire pits: permitted · Developed-campground fires: permitted
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions (Stage 2)
Prohibited:
- campfires
- open fires
- charcoal grills
- open burning
- fireworks, including permissible fireworks
- smoking outdoors, except inside an enclosed vehicle or building
Allowed:
- liquid-fueled or gas stoves/grills (propane, butane) with a shut-off valve
- camp stoves
- propane/LPG fueled devices in cleared areas
Propane fire pits: permitted · Developed-campground fires: not permitted
Exemption for fires fueled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels and devices with a shut-off valve used in cleared areas.
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 Lake County whenever one is published. See the full guide to Colorado fire restrictions for details, penalties, and propane specifics.