Regional Recreation Conditions: Fire Restriction Information

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Fire restrictions are used to limit certain activities on national forests and grasslands during periods of extreme fire risk. Fire restrictions have various levels called stages. Each stage limits specific activities and can vary from place to place, even those areas in close proximity. Know before you go on that trip to visit our national forest or grasslands. Check with local forest and fire agencies to see if any fire restrictions are in place.  

Why are campfires a concern?  During times of extreme fire risks and conditions, campfires can easily escape a fire ring, potentially becoming a wildfire.   Our firefighters’ and public safety are top priority.

Stage 1

During Stage 1 fire restrictions, certain activities may not be allowed and/or may be restricted to an area.  For the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, the following activities may be limited or not allowed during Stage 1.  Always check with the local Forest Service office to determine what specific restrictions are in place.

icons illustrating prohibited and permitted activities during fire restrictions

Stage 2

During Stage 2 fire restrictions, are more restrictive than Stage 1 restrictions.  For the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, the following activities may be limited or not allowed during Stage 2.  Always check with the local Forest Service office to determine what specific restrictions are in place.

icons illustrating prohibited and permitted activities during fire restrictions

For current information on fire restrictions, prescribed burns, wildland fires, and/or other fire emergencies on a specific Rocky Mountain Region national forest or grassland, check the individual national forest and grassland websites using the Regional Recreation Information Map.

Check the links below for state fire information along with information that will help homeowners prepare their homes in case of a wildfire:

State Links

 Coordination Centers

  • Geographic Area Coordination Center (Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center) - An Interagency Incident Support website that coordinates fire restrictions that are issued from federal land management agencies, state agencies, and local agencies

  • Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC) Group - The Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group is an Internet-based mapping application originally designed for fire managers to access online maps of current fire locations. These maps are now available to the general public

A number of supporting systems automate the delivery of incident information to remote sources. This ensures that the information regarding active incidents is consistent, and the delivery is timely.

Information Centers

  • InciWeb - Incident Information System - InciWeb is an Interagency all-risk incident information management system. The system was developed with two primary missions:

    1. Provide a single source of incident related information 

    2. Provide a standardized reporting tool for the Public Affairs community

  • National Interagency Fire Center (NFIC) - The NFIC in Boise, Idaho is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting

  • Firewise Community - The Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire

  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards