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Grant County declares fire emergency; burn and fireworks restrictions ordered
Summary
County fire chief declared a state of fire emergency under the Grant County Fire Code and announced immediate restrictions; enforcement will rely on dispatch, volunteer departments and the sheriff's office, and preventive patrols may be added if conditions worsen.
Grant County’s fire chief told commissioners on April 8 that county conditions meet the threshold for a fire emergency and that the county is imposing restrictions under the Grant County Fire Code Ordinance No. 14-2.
Chief Gross said, "pursuant to the Grant County Fire Code Ordinance number fourteen-two, I feel that the current conditions are severe and extreme drought, that we're at a state of fire emergency." He said the new restrictions take effect immediately.
The restrictions and response: Gross said enforcement will be handled by the sheriff's office and that the county will initially rely on 9-1-1 dispatch to route calls. He told commissioners preventive patrols by volunteer departments are likely if drought conditions do not improve. "Bridal we'll start off with calls through dispatch. As time goes on and our drought conditions do not improve, I will recommend some preventive patrols," Gross said.
Commissioners raised concerns about dispatching and mutual-aid response in rural areas. Commissioner Shali asked whether dispatch follows a nearest-unit protocol and noted calls from residents in Baird and Hurley who said some departments were not being requested. Gross said automatic- and mutual-aid maps are available and that dispatch maps had a boundary glitch affecting Silver City response that has been addressed. He said existing mutual-aid agreements (dating to 02/2011) cover municipalities and volunteer departments.
Outreach and visibility: The fire chief said notices will be posted on the county website, the county Facebook page, in local newspapers, at post offices and at fire stations. He also said radio spots and social-media posts are running and that signs could be placed at each fire department to notify the public.
Why it matters: With the county in severe and extreme drought and recent fires linked to open burning, the declaration and restrictions aim to reduce wildfire risk during a period of elevated danger. The county also flagged enforcement complications related to seized animals and hazardous property conditions that might increase fire risk.
What was not decided: The meeting did not include a formal vote to rescind or modify the restrictions; the chief said the situation will be reassessed as conditions change.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to follow up with dispatch and the sheriff’s office about ensuring the closest appropriate departments are called for emergencies and to monitor enforcement and public outreach as the restrictions remain in effect.
