Larimer County advances zone-based fire restrictions, plans public map and 20‑person rapid‑response crew

Kristen Stevens, chair of the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners, on Wednesday heard a proposal from the sheriff’s office to replace countywide fire restrictions with a zone-based system tied to National Weather Service fire‑weather zones.

Justin Weitzel, emergency services director for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, described three zones—plains (below 6,000 feet), foothills (6,000–9,000 feet) and East Divide (above 9,000 feet)—and said the county would track the same fire indices it has used historically on a per‑zone basis. “What we’re looking at is a zone based approach,” Weitzel said, explaining the county will use station data and National Weather Service forecasts to trigger localized restrictions.

The county emphasized public outreach and tools to reduce confusion about boundaries that do not follow major roads. Weitzel said the sheriff’s office is building a public‑facing GIS portal that will let residents enter an address or GPS location to see whether their zone is in no restriction, restriction or ban; colors on the map will show status and link to the responsible jurisdiction. “If you click on a forest service [zone], it has their official website to go to,” he said.

Officials also discussed how the county will enforce and educate: deputies will focus on outreach and education during the initial implementation rather than immediate ticketing, and public information officers, OEM partners and Road & Bridge will be enlisted to coordinate messaging and signage.

Funding and staffing for rapid response were described in detail. Weitzel told the board the county expects “a full 20 person crew in Larimer County this year” available from April through October to serve as an initial‑attack resource. Captain Tim Keaton said the crew positions are being paid primarily by a mitigation grant rather than county tax dollars. “That mitigation grant is funding these positions for a short window so it’s not any county tax dollars,” Keaton said, adding the plan is to pre‑position small 5–6 person teams for fast initial response.

Commissioners asked technical and operational questions, including whether one plains weather station (Buckeye) is representative of all plains conditions. Weitzel said Buckeye is owned by the sheriff’s office, that additional stations would improve accuracy and that the county supplements Buckeye with other stations and National Weather Service modeling. He gave approximate costs: the sheriff’s office bought that instrument eight years ago for about $17,000 and pays roughly $5,000–$7,000 per year to transmit its data.

The sheriff’s office also flagged constraints on mutual aid when national planning level 5 is declared, noting the county had difficulty securing out‑of‑state resources during heavy seasons such as the Alexander and Pearl fires. Weitzel said the planned zone system should better align local restrictions with Forest Service and National Weather Service triggers, and make enforcement and public messaging more consistent.

Officials discussed technology for detection and alerts—satellite monitoring, fire AI cameras and acoustic detection systems—and debated privacy and vendor‑control issues. Commissioner Jody Shattuck McNally said she has raised concerns about legislative language that could give access to one vendor and about privacy implications of AI monitoring.

Weitzel said the county hopes to finalize the approach by May and roll out public tools in April so the system is ready before the June–August high fire season. No formal vote was taken; the session was a work session for review and direction.

Next steps listed by county staff include completing the public GIS portal, coordinating training for deputies and communications with fire districts and municipalities, and continuing to pursue grant funding and partnerships to expand weather‑station coverage and detection technologies.