The Montezuma County commissioners on Monday voted 2-1 to approve a modified fire ban ordinance.

Commissioners Keenan Ertel and James Lambert voted for the modified ordinance. Larry Don Suckla opposed it, stating that the old one was sufficient.

When commissioners and fire chiefs enact the ban, open fires, burning fields and ditches, and the use of fireworks are prohibited in unincorporated areas of the county.

Key changes are the rules for what constitutes an open fire.

The old ordinance described it as “Any fire in an outdoor location that is not contained in an enclosed incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill, or barbecue pit.”

“There are times when a farmer has to burn off a swampy field, and he needs a 30-plus mile-per-hour wind to get it going,” he said.

The new ordinance eliminates that sentence and adds a detailed list to what is allowed during a fire ban.

Burn barrels are now allowed if they are equipped with a ¼-inch screen and are used within a 20-foot radius free of vegetation.

Residential charcoal and gas barbecue grills are OK to use during a ban.

Welding and use of a acetylene torch are allowed if in a 20-foot radius free of vegetation. Hand tools and fire extinguishers, or pressurized water, must be nearby.

In the case of the oil-and-gas industry, welding can continue and must comply with state standards, and be done in an 20-foot radius free of vegetation.

Regardless if there is a county fire ban or not, when the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Day there shall be no open burning, with the noted exceptions.

A Red Flag Day happens when there is a high wind advisory (sustained winds of 30-39 mph) or a high wind warning (sustained winds over 40 mph).

When a fire ban is not in place, any person burning their fields, ditches, or waste piles, are required to notify Dispatch at (970) 565-8441.

Violations of the county fire ban ordinance are not to exceed $1,000 for each separate violation.

“The new ordinance reduces confusion and outlines what is specifically allowed during a fire ban,” said county emergency planner Paul Hollar. “It is not meant to be more regulatory, rather it helps to reduce our risk for wildfire.”

jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com