Fire and Water Use Restrictions
Frisco Current Fire and Water Use Restrictions
This page is dedicated to providing updates, links, and resources to keep the Frisco community prepared and aware of fire and water use restrictions.
Fire Restrictions and Resources
The Town of Frisco works with Summit Fire & EMS, the independent fire district which Frisco is in, and with other agencies such as Summit County Government, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, other towns, and the US Forest Service/White River National Forest to implement fire restrictions and regulations, which best protect the Frisco community.
Current Fire Restrictions- Stage 2
Starting June 26, 2026, there are Stage 2 fire restrictions in place for Frisco and the rest of Summit County.
- As of June 26, 2026, fire danger has been declared at EXTREME by Summit County’s fire professionals, and Stage 2 fire restrictions were implemented on Friday, June 26, 2026 in all of Summit County, as recommended by Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons based on the data analyzed each week and approved by the Summit County Board of County Commissioners.
- Restrictions are enacted based fire science and the level of moisture in fuels, as well as the risk posed by human behavior.
- There are already regulations in place in Summit County and Frisco year-round to ensure fire safety.
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions Starting Friday, June 26, 2026
Starting on June 26, 2026, Summit County is entering Stage 2 fire restrictions due to VERY HIGH fire danger.
Not Allowed During Stage 2 Fire Restrictions
❌ Open Fires: Open Fires except those in compliance with Section III. For purposes of these Stage 2 Restrictions, Open Fires shall be defined as any outdoor fire, including but not limited to campfires, warming fires, bonfires, or the prescribed burning of fence rows, fields, wildlands, trash, and debris.
❌ Solid-Fuel Burning Fires (Wood or Charcoal): Igniting, building, and maintaining fires on private property that have been permitted by the applicable local fire district.
❌ Smoking: Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, designated outdoor areas where smoking is permitted, or while stopped in an area that is at least three feet in diameter and is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
❌ Fireworks: The use and/or sale of recreational fireworks.
❌ Explosives: The use of tracer ammunition, including recreational use of any projectile containing explosive material, incendiary material, or other chemical substance. The use of recreational explosives, including explosive targets.
❌ Disposal: Disposal of any burning object outdoors, including without limitation, any cigarette, cigar, or match.
❌ Chainsaws: Operation of a chainsaw is prohibited without a USDA or Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher (with a minimum 8 oz. capacity and rating of 2A) kept with the operator, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.
❌ Commercial and Industrial Operations: Blasting, grinding, welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame.
❌ Developed Recreational Sites: Fires within a campground or picnic area (developed recreation site) defined as a fire contained in a permanent metal or concrete fire pit or grate that the USDA Forest Service has installed and maintained.
❌ Undeveloped Recreational Sites: Fires within dispersed camping areas or other forested areas.
❌ Grills, Stoves, and Smokers: Use of charcoal and/or wood pellet grills, smokers and barbecues, coal and wood burning stoves, and sheepherder’s stoves.
❌ Hot Air Balloons: Inflation or propulsion of a hot air balloon.
❌ Agricultural and Large Pile Burns: Are prohibited even with the appropriate permits from the state department of environmental health.
❌ Slash Burns: Are prohibited even with the appropriate permit from the local fire protection district.
❌ Combustion Engines: Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without an effective and properly installed USDA or Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) approved spark arrestor.
❌ Off-Highway Vehicles: Possessing or using a motor vehicle off established roads, motorized trails
Allowed Activities During Stage 2 Fire Restrictions
✅ Liquid or Gas-fueled Devices: heating devices, stoves, grills, lanterns, fire pits, fireplaces or fire tables that include shut-off valves are permitted when used in an area at least three feet from flammable materials such as grasses or pine needles.
✅ Fires Contained Inside Permanent Structures: Any fire contained within a fireplace, stove, wood burning stove, or pellet stove designed for and located within a fully enclosed permanent structure.
Frisco’s Year-Round Fire Regulations and Restrictions
- Fires on public property– Now completely prohibited under Stage 2 fire restrictions, including use of public grills, as charcoal use is prohibited. Fires are not allowed in town parks or recreation areas, including the part of the Frisco Peninsula owned by the Town of Frisco. The only exceptions are public grills in Frisco’s public parks.
- Backyard fires- Now completely prohibited under Stage 2 fire restrictions. On private property, anyone who wishes to have a fire pit/backyard campfire, whether fueled by wood or anything producing embers, must obtain a permit from Summit Fire & EMS. These permits are good for two years, and the application process starts on the Summit Fire & EMS Community Connect webpage.
- Fireworks- Now completely prohibited under Stage 2 fire restrictions. Colorado laws related to fireworks are simple: Anything that explodes or leaves the ground is illegal for recreational use, outside of permitted commercial fireworks shows. That means only fireworks like fountains, smoke balls and sparklers are legal when there are no fire restrictions. But, all fireworks, including sparklers and the like, are prohibited on U.S. Forest Service lands, which comprise about 80 percent of Summit County. Also per State law, anyone who is under sixteen years of age may not possess fireworks, including by gift or purchase.
Get Ready, Be Prepared
The best plan is doing all you can do now to prepare. Here are a few tips from our fire safety and preparedness experts at Summit Fire & EMS.
- SIGN UP FOR ALERTS & SOCIAL MEDIA. Make sure you sign up to receive Summit County emergency alerts for any potential wildfires or emergency situations. SIGN up at SCALERT.ORG Follow @SummitCountyGov on social media for updates, too.
- CREATE AN EMERGENCY PLAN for your family: what to bring, where to meet and what to do. Create an inventory list, take photos, scan important documents and know your insurance coverage. Don’t forget about your pets.
- CREATE YOUR EVACUATION KIT and keep it in your car with water, food, valuables, important paperwork, cash and other necessities.
- PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH FIRE MITIGATION WORK. Clean gutters, clear vegetation & hazards to create defensible space. Schedule a FREE consultation with Summit Fire & EMS staff by filling out their online form.
- BE SMART, SAFE AND SPREAD THE WORD. Know about current fire restrictions and fire safety with campfires, cigarettes and other ignition sources. Help to spread the word by making sure your friends, family, neighbors and our visitors are “fire ready” this summer.
Current Frisco Water Use Restrictions
On Friday, May 8, 2026, the Town of Frisco moved from voluntary Phase 1 water use restrictions to mandatory Phase 3 water use restrictions.
Phase 3 Mandatory Water Use Restrictions Schedule
| Area | Day(s) | Time(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 – Last whole number in address is even | Tuesday and Saturday | Overnight, 6:00pm – 9:00am |
| Zone 2 – Last whole number in address is odd | Sunday and Wednesday | Overnight, 6:00pm – 9:00am |
- No outdoor irrigation on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays
- Irrigation, sprinkling or otherwise applying water to a lawn or other area of land on which grass is grown, or intended to be grown, is permitted only within the following areas and during the following days and time periods as stated above.
- Flowers, decorative plants, bushes and trees may be watered at any time and on any day so long as such watering is done by way of drip irrigation or by hand using a watering can or a hose with an automatic shut-off valve.
- It shall be unlawful for any person to do the following:
- Use a hose to wash any structure, motor vehicle, or boat unless the hose is equipped with an automatic shut-off valve;
- Wash any paved area with a hose;
- Serve water to a customer of a commercial establishment, like a restaurant, except upon request of the customer.
Background
As of April 30, 2026, the North Ten Mile Creek watershed, which provides Frisco with much of its water, has received 99.95 inches of snowfall this winter season, producing 9.155 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE). This is significantly below the latest five-year averages of 180.28 inches of snowfall and 14.534 inches of SWE, representing approximately 55% of average snowfall and more than a 37% reduction in stored water.
These historically low snowfall and snowpack levels led staff to re-evaluate how water restrictions are enacted. In response to these conditions and through Ordinance 26-10, Town Council authorized the Town Manager to implement water conservation measures outside of the standard triggers outlined in Chapter 171-20 of the Town of Frisco Water Code to enable a more proactive approach.