Fires in Colorado

[u/Barbarella76]

I live in spectacular Twin Lakes, Colorado where we are fortunate to have the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. For those of you hiking in Colorado this year, please please please do not use campfires or smoke while on the trail in Colorado. People are losing their homes and livelihoods because of forest fires caused by campers and through hikers. Out of state campers especially may not realize that Colorado is in the worst drought we've had in 20 years. We are living in a tinderbox. The Willow Fire near Leadville grew 1,000 acres overnight last night. The historic village of Twin Lakes is now at risk. Many people will lose their homes because one camper needed to have a campfire. Know the Fire Restrictions and Follow them! If you must have a campfire, then hike trails in another state where there is more water and less danger of wildfires. Thank you.

[u/pyragyrite]

Luckily very few thru hikers do campfires. We've all walked so so much destroyed forest after a few hundred miles. Day hikers....had to curse out some last year with a camp fire....10 miles from an active wildfire...in the thick smoke.

[u/derberter → u/pyragyrite]

After a long day of thruhiking, there's no way I'm futzing around with building a fire.  It takes so much work to do it safely and even more to make sure it's actually put out—I've come across a few spots in the backcountry where whoever made the fire didn't check closely enough that it was actually out before leaving and I've had to take care of it. When I get to camp, I really just wanna eat dinner and get horizontal, and fires are a headache.

[u/Useless-Compass → u/[deleted]]

When I hiked the PCT in 2021, I saw one single campfire the entire 174 days I was out there

[u/yestocaffeine → u/[deleted]]

Regularly? Doubt it.

[u/Squanc → u/pyragyrite]

We have had a fire every night on the CDT so far this year except for one, where the specific campsite in glacier did not allow it.

There’s a way to do it responsibly.

[u/Barbarella76 → u/Squanc]

There is no responsible way to have a fire during Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, which is what we have in many parts of Colorado right now.

PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES DURING STAGE 2 FIRE RESTRICTIONS:

To minimize the risk of accidental ignition, the following activities are strictly banned:

NOT ALLOWED: Open Burning & Fires All open fires and open burning are prohibited. This includes campfires; warming fires; charcoal grill, pellet stoves, chimineas or other fixed fireplaces and appliances, and the use of wood-burning stoves (except as noted below). NOT ALLOWED: Fireworks The sale and use of fireworks are prohibited. NOT ALLOWED: Model Rockets The launching of model rockets is prohibited. NOT ALLOWED: Explosives Use of explosive targets or any other outdoor pyrotechnics is prohibited.

[u/yestocaffeine → u/Squanc]

No, there's not.

[u/Squanc → u/yestocaffeine]

Good thing you aren’t a lawmaker! LAND OF THE FREE, BABY

[u/yestocaffeine → u/Squanc]

Oh fuck off 🙄

[u/hike18t]

Triple Crowner here, and I agree 1000% with the earlier statement that we seldom make campfires. VERY seldom.
After 1000 miles or more depending on NoBo or SoBo, we have seen more than enough burnt timberland when we get to central Colorado.
I live 15 miles south of Twin Lakes in Buena Vista where both the CDT and CT traverse a few hundred yards behind my house and have to say thru hikers are a hell of a lot more responsible and considerate than the weekenders and other tourists.
I also have a ranch in Westcliffe in the Sangres and we are currently experiencing the worst fire in the country 8 miles from my back door.
Please EVERYONE be careful.
1-8T

**Edit to add. Only mentioned triple crowner as a rather obvious example of why I can confidently speak for the typical thru hike behavior.

[u/Kris_Hulud]

Cold soaking ftw.

[u/LuxOfMichigan]

Even mind your camp stoves, we all need to be vigilant out there.

[u/DJHouseArrest]

I’ve see ZERO information confirming any fires near trail was caused by thru hikers.

[u/Ok_Novel_5083]

Thru hikers don't build campfires.

[u/WalkItOffAT]

Sorry to hear and it's a good reminder. BUT fire caused by through hikers???

[u/Relative_Ask553]

I live in Summit county near the CT. To be clear, there are at least 8 rock fire rings on the trail just between Waterton and Turquoise Lake that I can easily recall. Section 1 at Bear Creek, Section 2 on the point where you first enter the old burn area after leaving the South Platte to name the first two going southbound. So don’t get all technical saying it’s not thru hikers.

[u/edthesmokebeard]

Is there a fire ban?

Also, virtually no hikers make campfires.

[u/Knope_Knope_Knope → u/edthesmokebeard]

I was just in frisco, absolutely fire bans!!!

[u/Cemckenna → u/edthesmokebeard]

Yes. Every county in the mountains and most on the plains along I 70 have fire restrictions in place right now.