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Colorado statute

C.R.S. § 18-13-109 — Firing woods or prairie.

Current through 2025 Regular Session

Part of Article 13: Miscellaneous Offenses, Colorado Revised Statutes.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of C.R.S. § 18-13-109

Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.

C.R.S. § 18-13-109Primary source, current through the 2025 Regular Session
(1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, any person who, without lawful authority and knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, sets on fire, or causes to be set on fire, any woods, prairie, or grounds of any description, other than his or her own, or who, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, permits a fire, set or caused to be set by such person, to pass from his or her own grounds to the injury of any other person commits a petty offense. (b) Any person convicted under paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) shall be assessed a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars and not greater than one thousand dollars. The fine imposed by this paragraph (b) shall be mandatory and not subject to suspension. Nothing in this paragraph (b) shall be construed to limit the court's discretion in exercising other available sentencing alternatives in addition to the mandatory fine. (2) (a) Any person who knowingly violates paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section and who knows or reasonably should know that he or she violates any applicable order, rule, or regulation lawfully issued by a governmental authority that prohibits, bans, restricts, or otherwise regulates fires during periods of extreme fire hazard and that is designed to promote the safety of persons and property, commits a class 6 felony. (b) The following activities do not constitute offenses under this subsection (2): (I) Open burning lawfully conducted in the course of agricultural operations; (II) State, municipality, or county fire management operations; (III) Lawfully conducted prescribed or controlled burns; (IV) Lawful activities conducted pursuant to rules, regulations, or policies adopted by the relevant state, tribal, or federal regulatory agency or agencies.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is firing woods or prairie a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?

It depends on the circumstances: firing woods or prairie ranges from a petty offense to a class 6 felony in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-13-109.

Firing woods or prairie without lawful authority: petty offense (C.R.S. § 18-13-109(1)(a)) · Firing woods or prairie during extreme fire hazard restrictions: class 6 felony (C.R.S. § 18-13-109(2)(a))

Which Colorado statute covers firing woods or prairie?

Firing woods or prairie is governed by C.R.S. § 18-13-109 (Firing woods or prairie).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.