8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Jefferson County, Colorado.
Verified from official government sources
Gas-fueled fire pits are allowed year-round, even during fire restrictions. Wood-burning fire pits and open recreational fires are permitted only when no Sheriff fire restriction is in effect and are prohibited under Stage 1 and Stage 2 bans in unincorporated Jeffco.
Colorado allows only ground-based and handheld sparkling devices (fountains, ground spinners, sparklers) without a permit. Anything that leaves the ground or explodes—firecrackers, rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, mortars—is illegal statewide. Jeffco also bans all fireworks whenever fire restrictions are in effect.
Jefferson County requires wildfire-defensible space around foothills homes. Zone 1 (0–5 feet) must have no combustible mulch and only mature trees; Zone 2 (5–30 feet) requires removing dead plants and surface fuels. A Defensible Space Permit applies in the WUI overlay above 6,400 feet.
Jeffco Defensible Space Standards (Zoning Resolution / CSU 6.302)
Zone 1 (0–5 feet): “No plants except mature trees” and “No combustible mulch such as wood mulch.” Zone 2 (5–30 feet): “Removal of hazardous dead plants” and “No large accumulations of surface fuels (logs, slash, mulch, firewood piles).”
Open burning in unincorporated Jeffco requires an Open Burn Permit from Jefferson County Public Health, issued only for agricultural or forest-management burning at 6,400 feet elevation and above. Permits cost $80 and are never issued during a fire restriction or ban.
Jefferson County Public Health – Open Burning Policy
“Jefferson County Public Health will not issue or approve any Open Burn Permits during a Fire Restriction (Stage One) or a Fire Ban (Stage Two).” Permits are issued for agricultural and forest management burning located at 6,400 feet or above only.
Much of unincorporated Jefferson County lies in the Wildland-Urban Interface. Properties in the WUI Overlay District (generally above 6,400 feet elevation) face defensible-space standards and wildfire-mitigation requirements tied to the County Zoning Resolution and building permits.
Jefferson County has no separate county smoke-detector ordinance for existing homes; requirements come from the adopted building codes (International Residential Code) applied to new construction, additions, and remodels. Owners of existing dwellings should follow manufacturer and IRC placement guidance.
Small contained backyard fires are allowed in unincorporated Jeffco only when no fire restriction is in effect. Under Stage 1 restrictions, open burning, bonfires, and campfires (with limited exceptions) are prohibited; only liquid- and gas-fueled appliances remain permitted.
Jefferson County has no unique county propane-storage ordinance; residential LPG storage is governed by the adopted International Fire Code and Colorado LP-gas rules. Notably, gas- and liquid-fueled appliances stay legal to use even during Stage 1 and Stage 2 fire bans.
2 cities in Jefferson County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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