July 10, 2026 |
Photo – AI-generated image courtesy of ChatGPT
Despite the dry weather, county officials are not prepared to institute fire restrictions at this time.
Recent warm, dry, and breezy conditions in our area, coupled with little rainfall, have left grasses and brush thoroughly dried out. Speaking at the July 7th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Fire Warden John Rutherford said those conditions have put the county at risk of wildfires.
The continuing fire danger led the town of Encampment to cancel its 4th of July fireworks show.
Fire Warden Rutherford said our area has been fortunate not to see any major fires yet this season. However, with wildfires erupting in surrounding states, he said Carbon County is under significant threat.
Rutherford said he hopes crews will be ready when a wildfire starts. While the Rocky Mountain Multi‑Agency Coordination Group has set Carbon County to Preparedness Level 4, meaning federal agencies have increased staffing with more resources in the region, Rutherford said he fears it still won’t be enough to stop a major blaze.
Higher regional fire activity can drain shared resources, leaving fewer personnel available for Carbon County. According to Watchduty.org, a real‑time wildfire tracking website, major fires have broken out in Montana, Colorado, and Utah.
Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked if the county was likely to enter fire restrictions in the near future. Rutherford said that while other counties have entered restrictions, he isn’t prepared to do so. He said he’s waiting until the Bureau of Land Management acts, noting that roughly 40 percent of the county is managed by the BLM.
While Carbon County is not under fire restrictions at this time, Rutherford said he is prepared to adopt them as soon as the BLM does.
Fire Warden Rutherford said he was simply glad Carbon County made it through the 4th of July weekend without fire restrictions.
