Otero County Fire Restrictions & Burn Bans
➜ View the current Otero County status on the live map
BurnBound monitors official Otero 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 Otero 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 Otero 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.
Otero County's recorded statutory authority is C.R.S. § 30-15-401. To confirm current restrictions by phone, the county office on record is (719) 384-5941.
Do Otero County restrictions apply on federal land?
Otero 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 Otero County sources
Fire protection districts in Otero 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 Otero 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: Comanche Ranger District
Otero County fire-restriction rules by stage
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions (Stage 1)
Prohibited:
- open burning (outside the permitted exceptions)
- sale or use of fireworks
- smoking except in designated areas
Allowed:
- campfires in permanently constructed fire grates in developed campgrounds and picnic areas
- charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves at private residences in areas cleared of all flammable materials
- liquid or gas-fueled stoves
- propane fire pits (not explicit in ordinance; reasonable inference)
Propane fire pits: permitted · Developed-campground fires: permitted
Propane fire pits not explicit in Ordinance 2026-001; reasonable inference from the gas-fueled exceptions (lower confidence).
Source: Ordinance No. 2026-001 (adopted 5/11/2026; repeals Ordinance 2008-001 in its entirety)
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions (Stage 2)
Prohibited:
- all open burning (except liquid/gas-fueled stoves and Section 11 exceptions)
- campfires
- charcoal grills
- sale or use of fireworks
- outdoor smoking except in enclosed vehicle/building or 3-ft cleared area
- internal combustion engines on public lands without approved spark-arresting devices
- welding or torch use unless in a 30-ft cleared area with fire suppression equipment at hand
Allowed:
- liquid or gas-fueled stoves
Propane fire pits: not permitted · Developed-campground fires: not permitted
Stage 2 exception is narrowly 'fires contained within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves' — no shut-off-valve device language; propane fire pits not excepted.
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 Otero County whenever one is published. See the full guide to Colorado fire restrictions for details, penalties, and propane specifics.