With the warmth of summer finally here, many of you are anxious to get out and enjoy the company of friends, family and good food around the ambiance of an outdoor cooking fire. So, unless you want us coming to your house, crashing your party, and eating your food please take the time to ensure your safety. Here are some safety suggestions:
- Prior to the start of the festivities, please contact the El Paso County Sheriffs Dept. at 390-5555. It’s a precaution to inform the people who dispatch us when and where your fire will be. If any of your caring neighbors sees your fire but are unaware that you are attending and controlling it, when they call 9-1-1 to report it, dispatch will know that this is a planned fire, and they will not dispatch us. We have to treat every fire call we receive as a real emergency, and by tying up our community’s emergency resources there is a chance that someone who is in immediate need of our assistance may suffer because of a delayed response caused by a false alarm. Please contact the sheriff’s office prior to igniting your fire: Someone else’s life may depend on it.
- Currently the only fires that do not require a permit are cooking fires. If you plan on burning anything, such as trash or other debris, you will need to contact the El Paso County Health Department to obtain a permit. A permit costs around $80, which is a small price to pay considering the fine for an unauthorized burn may cost you up to $500. To obtain a permit, call 575-8636
- When preparing for your fire, exercise good judgment and build an adequately sized fire pit. A good rule of thumb is to have the height of your pit equal to at least one-fourth the diameter. Example: A fire that is 2 feet in diameter should have a least a 6-inch wall around it.
- Have an adequate water source near by, as this will not only be useful for when you want to extinguish the fire but will also come in handy if your fire either gets out of control or starts another fire by embers being carried by the wind.
- If consuming alcohol, PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!
