# Fires on Ruby-Horsethief



## BLM Ruby Horsethief (Dec 21, 2011)

Hello all! 

With the wet spring the fuels are thick in Ruby-Horsethief. Things are starting to dry out. Because of this, Starting July 1st there will be no fires allowed between Loma, CO and the Utah border. This includes the use of charcoal. Cook stoves are fine but whatever you are using needs to have an on/off switch. Please give me a call if you have any questions 970-244-3000.

*The following acts are prohibited: *
Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site, or improved site. 36 CFR 261.52(a). 

Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. 36 CFR 261.52(d). 

No operation welding, acetylene, or other torch with an open flame.
Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order meeting either the USDA Forest Service Standard 5100-1a (as amended), or appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) recommended practice J335(b) and J350(a) (36 CFR 261.52(j)). 

The following actions are permitted: petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns, or heating devices providing such devices meet the fire underwriter’s specification for safety.

*What does this mean? *
•	Campsites on the Ruby-Horsethief (Loma, CO to the Utah Border) section of the Colorado River are not a developed recreation site or a developed campground, fires are not permitted. 
•	This includes the use of charcoal. No charcoal is allowed.
•	You may still use your cooking stove equipped with an on-off switch. 
•	Please carry a fire pan regardless of the ban. It is for emergency use only.


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

LOl that hilarious. Some called it, fire ban on a record smashing year with early monsoons coming.


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## noahfecks (Jun 14, 2008)

Frog strangling downpours as recently as Saturday. So 4 days since the last major storm cycle, must be a tinder box down there by now!


In all fairness it has been 90* and windy so things are drying out but banning even charcoal, seems a bit overzealous.


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## unlucky (Sep 2, 2012)

I have never understood the charcoal bans on the big beach river camps. You can have an open fire shooting sparks left and right at the bone dry cheat grass infested "developed" campground but can not have charcoal in an elevated fire pan on a fire blanket on a big sand bar next to the river with no flammable vegetation near by. 

I think the BLM and NPS should review their fire restrictions. There is a lot of flammable material around most of the developed sites. Could you imagine the outrage if the general public had a fire ban in a developed campsite? but if god says - it must be true.

What is the rational for charcoal restrictions on a river beach? Other than the idiots lighting fireworks off a few years back when is the last time a fire was started by charcoal on the river? There typically are not a lot of flammables on the sand bars as the river drops.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

Yeah, that’s some pretty laughable shit, BLM. I was in GJ a few days back. Blistering temps in the 50s, cloudy, rainy, never seen the area so green and new snow in the mountains. And you guys are doing fire bans. My tax dollars at work.:roll:

Thanks for the heads up, though. Sure would have never guessed the “need” this season on my own.


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

The biggest issue I have with un-reasonable fire bans is when you cry wolf all the time no one respects any fire restrictions. I have violated fire restrictions in Colorado so many times I have lost count, many times during days on end of driving rain......


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## sarahkonamojo (May 20, 2004)

Don't blame the BLM for protecting the river corridor from us. Blame it on the poor choices of the river runners before you who through blatant disregard of restrictions or extreme ignorance started some spectacular wildfires in Ruby/Horsethief. This is also Colorado BLM, Utah BLM will treat fire conditions differently. If you want a flat water float and require a campfire, head down river, Moab Daily.


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## almortal (Jun 22, 2014)

First off, called it. 
Second off, are you whiners serious?
Yeah its been a long wet spring... we also live in the desert.
Wet seasons mean the fuel grows faster and there is more of the small easily ignitable vegetation dried out in late summer. This is the reason the fire fighting agencies are freaking out this year. I started a thread a month ago asking for predictions because Holy Cross ranger friends of mine had already been called to active duty.

Someone here remembers the Dog Island fire but seems to think only reckless people with fireworks start wildfires. Has any one heard of an ounce of prevention prevents...
How many people lost friends to the Storm King fire? And seriously, if you claim to know what the weather is going to be like in a month, well, good for you I've got a tinfoil hat to sell you.

So, you can't make your fancy dutch oven lasagnas, bummer. In case any one noticed, R/H is hot as balls in July and August. Having a fire then is like watering your lawn in the rain. Don't say you want it for ambiance because it stays light until 9. 
And you are allowed to have a fire then... if someone in your party is in risk of hypothermia.

Why are fires allowed in developed campsites? Because a) most easily combustable fuel is absent (how much kindling can you find on the ground in July in a Colorado campground?) b) if there is an ignition in a developed campground it is a lot easier to respond to - remember there are maintained roads - how long does it take a fire truck to drive to Mee, or Cottonwoods, or... Dog Island. But I still think it is bad form to have an unnecessary fire in fire season regardless. Sure there are not a lot of flammables on the sandy beach, but if I remember correctly river corridors tend to be really windy and I have had my fair share of coals from charcoal blow up and out of a fire pan. How many people have fire pans with higher than three inch sides (or whatever minimum reg is)?

WE LIVE IN THE F-ING DESERT. If you need to have a fire in July go boating in Florida.

Last year someone with a sense of humor responded to the fire ban by complaining they couldn't bring there welding gear to assemble their tent. Suck it up.

Or think of it like this, fire ban = no charcoal/wood on boat = more room for beer.

Yeah, most fires are natural events, but many can be prevented. An ounce of prevention... means the less opportunity for being an a-hole and saying I told you so.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Colorado_wildfires


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

Don't mind me, I think fire pans are stupid as well.....


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Hey folks, the fire ban's not in effect until a few days from now. The fire ban's not for the cold, wet, "Junuary" we've had but is for normal summer conditions with an extra helping of lush but soon-to-be dessicated cheat grass under all the other stuff. Once that grass dries out, the tiniest spark will set it off. We're moving into a typical summer weather pattern now, it's going to be hot and dry.

-AH


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

EXACTLY a few days from now Monsoon Season starts, started Yesterday in Albuquerque, starts Saturday in Grand Junction. Every year the fire bans start just as the rain does.


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## rtsideup (Mar 29, 2009)

Picked up one of these last year.
It's actually pretty nice.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camp-Che...MIz5LilbGK4wIVzsDACh1ybwkvEAQYAyABEgKDWvD_BwE


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## ArgoCat (May 14, 2007)

*Monsoon Season*

Um, Grand Junction averages .79 inches of rain in July.


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## unlucky (Sep 2, 2012)

Don't get me wrong. I am all for an open - wood burning fire ban during the heat of summer. When it is hot and embers are flying I view that as really dangerous stuff. Charcoal is hot for a much shorter time, is more controlled and does not spark off embers like a wood fire does. I sure wish we could grill and DO on the beach. 

Besides - Who wants to sit by a hot fire when it is 100+ degrees and who wants to clean it up the next day too?


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## matt man (Dec 23, 2011)

Saw the damndest thing this afternoon. Driving on I-70 from Silverthorne in the ass, to Berthoud pass, and there was a helicopter dropping water on a fire, just down stream of exit 232 on a south facing hill side. After I turned onto 40, it was snowy as shit still, up in the mountains, I thought to myself “ god, it’s been dumping up hear up till like a week ago.”


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## ArgoCat (May 14, 2007)

*wildfire*

yep, 10 acre fire at 8000 feet. Shit dries out quick, and in steep terain with the right conditions, it doesn't take much to light up a canyon.


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## samcpa (Nov 8, 2014)

rtsideup said:


> Picked up one of these last year.
> It's actually pretty nice.
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camp-Che...MIz5LilbGK4wIVzsDACh1ybwkvEAQYAyABEgKDWvD_BwE


Ditto, great inexpensive firepit that packs away in the bag, also works for tailgating at Mile High where you can't have a open fire......


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## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

After about losing my house in the Cold Springs fire, I am for a permanent fire ban, period. Too many people are building fires and to dumb to put them out correctly.


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## rtsideup (Mar 29, 2009)

samcpa said:


> Ditto, great inexpensive firepit that packs away in the bag, also works for tailgating at Mile High where you can't have a open fire......


I wonder if it would pass as your emergency fire pan with the ranger. I'm pretty sure it's deep enough, legs keep it off the ground.


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## Quiggle (Nov 18, 2012)

I got some ceramic fire logs to put on my blaster last year, stes a nice ambiance.


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## Treswright3 (May 20, 2013)

They have had the same fire ban on that section on the same dates for years. It has nothing to do with conditions. I don’t believe there will ever be a year when you can have a fire on Ruby on the Fourth of July. 

That being said, it’s common that Westwater will not have a fire ban. Last year the ranger was demanding we remove our fire wood from our rafts but I told him it was for Westwater. He was not happy about the whole thing and I had to show him that Utah didn’t have a fire ban. So Utah obviously puts fire bans in effect due to conditions, whereas Ruby does it for no reason.

But bringing a fire pan is the dumbest thing ever! If it’s an emergency I’m not going to worry about rolling out the fire blanket and pan!


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## flite (Mar 31, 2013)

Its pretty clear from the responses on this thread that people boating R/H don't have the capacity for good judgment or rational decisions. 

More rain in June means more dry grass in July and August. Its pretty simple.

I was unfortunate enough to be in Northern California in 2012 when dry A dry lightning started some 150 or so wild fires. We had a pretty wet spring that year as well and the same conditions were present. Lots of dry grass around (not that type of "grass" that happens in the fall). I spent a week with a group of about 12 neighbors fighting fires in remote areas. Every day we would get up at 5am and communicate, through phones(yes, land lines) and radio, the location of these relatively small fires. We rallied water trucks and whatever tools and resources we had and put out a dozen or more fires over that week. One neighbor brought a dozer one day to make a fire break for a bigger fire that broke few days into it all. it ended up being on of the worst events in CA and there were crews from all over the country showing up to fight these wild fires. A neighbor ½ a mile away lost their home and some firefighters lost their lives that summer.

I enjoy cooking in my dutch one and roasting marshmallows with my daughter. But if it means potentially risking lives or homes I'll gladly change my plans.

I just got off the Middle Fork of the Salmon last week and it was humbling seeing how the landscape has been changed forever due to wild fires. Some caused by natural events like the ones I witnessed in CA and some cause by irresponsible boating parties. The difference between the few beautiful forested areas and the burn areas that looked like a scene from an Apocalypse movie was incredible. 

Here in CO we fight hard to save beautiful areas like R/H canyons for all to enjoy. Please put aside selfish desires and make good decisions on the rivers we all love this summer.

Thanks 
CHRiS


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

flite said:


> Its pretty clear from the responses on this thread that people boating R/H don't have the capacity for good judgment or rational decisions.


While it is a minority of the R/HT population, this is the reason there is now permitting on the stretch.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

I used to complain about permits and costs. Now if the permits and fees pay for increased law enforcement (rangers!) at access points, improved ramps / toilets and on the river patrols, I am glad to pay my share.


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## MaryB (May 17, 2007)

Those who regularly float Ruby Horsethief EXPECT a fire ban by July. Heck much of western Colorado is used to having a fire ban by mid-summer. There have been enough pretty scary fires out there to require it. If you want/need to have a fire, this isn't the spot for you.


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