Bernalillo County Fire Marshal Frank Barka announced today that the county fire department will implement fire and open burning restrictions in the unincorporated parts of the county beginning Monday (Feb. 27) and continuing until further notice.

The prohibition is due to lack of precipitation, high winds, low humidity and the continued drying out of fuels throughout the unincorporated areas of the county, Barka said in a news release.

"Fire incidents for all local, state and federal fire agencies are on the increase," Barka said in the release.
Prohibited are the following types of fires and open burning:

Above-ground detonation; agricultural burning; bonfires; burning of explosives; campfires; ceremonial fires; controlled burning; cooking fires; disease control; heating fires; hot torch burning; ignition of rocket motors; open burning; open flames; timber and forest management; research and development; slash piles; smoking; and weed burning.

Charcoal broilers, barbecue grills and coal-burning stoves used outside of private dwellings are classified as campfires and are prohibited, the release said.

Listed as exceptions to the ban are cooking or heating devices that use kerosene, white gas or propane as fuel if used with adequate fire protection and defensible space and smoking that is restricted to designated areas, within structures or inside vehicles equipped with ashtrays.

The ban will stay in effect until the Bernalillo County Fire Department determines that it is safe to resume open burning, the release said.

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