Routt County staff told commissioners on June 30 that a 1 p.m. fire meeting will decide whether local conditions meet indices for restrictions and whether restrictions might apply to one county zone but not another.

Why it matters: Commissioners said a split restriction could complicate enforcement and public messaging during peak tourism days and on scheduled Fourth of July events; some municipalities may not automatically adopt county restrictions, leaving gaps in protection.

County Manager Jay told the commission the county could be in both zone 2 and zone 3 and that it is possible to meet the threshold in one zone and not the other. He said the county tries to coordinate a unified message with federal partners but acknowledged that municipalities have different charters and processes for adopting county restrictions.

Commissioners asked whether local fireworks events — for example, at Yampa and Steamboat Lake scheduled for the upcoming weekend — would be affected. Jay said fire marshals and local fire chiefs typically have authority to issue exemptions and that jurisdictional fire districts and the sheriff’s office play central roles in decision-making. He said most local fire districts would be present at the 1 p.m. meeting.

Several commissioners expressed concern that some municipalities — including Steamboat Springs (referred to during discussion) — do not automatically adopt the county's emergency declarations and may require their own council or manager action, which could delay effect. Commissioners asked staff to research whether the county’s manager or another official could trigger a faster adoption process in home-rule municipalities.

What was not decided: No county-wide restriction was ordered at the June 30 meeting; staff said the fire meeting would determine whether restrictions are warranted.

Next steps: Staff committed to report back after the 1 p.m. meeting with the fire districts and to provide guidance on how municipal adoption processes affect timing and enforcement of restrictions, and on whether scheduled fireworks events might be affected or granted exemptions.

Speakers included County Manager Jay, the sheriff’s office (described as county lead for fire response) and commissioners who raised questions about municipal processes and fireworks.