Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland officials announced Friday morning they are lifting lift forest-wide Stage 1 fire restrictions, effective immediately.

They cited current and forecasted weather conditions for the change.

However, Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties remain in Stage 1 fire restrictions through this weekend. County fire restrictions can be enforced on National Forest lands.

“The Forest Service coordinates closely with our county cooperators around fire restrictions,” fire prevention officer Charlie Reynar said in a news release. “We analyze short and long term forecasts, measure fuel moisture in large and small vegetation, and track precipitation. We’re seeing all the trends moving in the right direction with low potential for significant fires, shorter days, cooler temperatures and more precipitation in the forecast this weekend.”

He said foresters will continue to monitor and evaluate these conditions and adjust them if needed.

“The lifting of Stage 1 Fire Restrictions on National Forest lands does not mean fire season is over. Potential exists for wildfires to start throughout the year,” Reynar said. “Forest users must always act responsibly with anything that can cause a fire, at any time.”

Campfires must be attended at all times and fully extinguished, and equipment that causes sparks must be maintained and managed to mitigate fire risk, the release stated.

Visit the USFS wildfire prevention and safety page at bit.ly/3A0Juaa for more information.