County declares partial fire restrictions in southern Albany County; officials list seven metrics used to decide

Albany County adopted an emergency resolution imposing partial fire restrictions and a fireworks ban in the southern portion of the county (Albany County Fire District 1) after emergency and fire officials reported that several fire-risk indicators met thresholds for action.

Chad, the county fire official, told commissioners the decision was based on a science-driven review of seven factors: 1,000‑hour fuel moisture; energy release component (a measure of potential fire intensity); live fuel moisture (notably sagebrush); whether fires were impacting available suppression resources; whether an area was experiencing a higher-than-normal incidence of human-caused fires; adverse fire-weather forecasts; and Palmer drought index values. “When we review those seven items, we look at if we check the box on four of those, we consider entering into restrictions,” Chad said.

Chad said the recent 157‑acre fire in the county was placed into patrol status and did not require sustained suppression activity, but cumulative conditions in the southern district met the restriction thresholds. The restrictions are not a full fire ban, he added; they primarily prohibit fireworks, open burning, incendiary targets and impose additional precautions on activities such as welding, use of ATVs or other spark‑producing work.

Commissioners unanimously approved the emergency resolution (Resolution 2025-001) imposing the partial restrictions. The resolution aligns county restrictions with restrictions already declared by the Medicine Bow‑Routt National Forest and nearby state and federal land managers, county staff said. Chad thanked county staff for assistance preparing the declaration and said the restrictions will remain in place until conditions improve.

The county will post restriction maps and guidance to its website and coordinate with state and federal partners for consistent enforcement and public messaging.