Effective Friday, September 12, 2025 at noon, Delta County will be rescinding all Stage 1 fire restrictions for unincorporated areas of Delta County which includes the Crawford and Sweitzer Lake State Parks and those municipalities which adopted and followed Delta County restrictions. If you live in the City Limits of Delta, Hotchkiss or Paonia, please check with your local police department and Town Hall as to the status of fire restrictions in your jurisdiction.
Following a shift in weather patterns and some much-needed rainfall across the county along with cooler temperatures and higher humidity; the Sheriff, fire chiefs and local fire management personnel agree Fire Restrictions are no longer necessary.
The decision aligns with fire restriction indices produced by our partners at the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management and with the decision of our neighboring counties who have already or are in the process of rescinding fire restrictions as well.
While restrictions are being lifted, the Sheriff’s Office and fire management partners would like to remind all residents and hunters coming to Delta County to be extra vigilant and to be fire wise to help prevent an unintentional wildfire from starting this fall. It has been an extremely dry summer and grasses, shrubs and trees can catch fire easily, despite the recent rainfall.
Careless actions such as throwing a lit cigarette out of a vehicle, dragging trailer chains or failing to properly extinguish a campfire may lead to a wildfire. Additionally, residents must adhere to Ordinance 2024-02 Delta County Open Burning and Local Fire Restriction Ordinance, which defines what is and is not legal in Delta County and which types of burning require a permit from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment such as slash piles.
Additionally, residents MUST call the Delta County Burn Line at 970-399-2955 and provide your name, address of the burn and contact information if you are conducting open burning so 9-1-1 dispatch and fire protection districts know where controlled burns are taking place. Additional information is available at DeltaCountyCO.gov/BurnLine.
