In light of the extremely dry and windy conditions existing in the lower elevations of Chaffee County and the forecast of no improvement in the weather, along with predictions of isolated thunderstorms and their associated lightning risks, Chaffee County Sheriff Pete Palmer is raising the fire danger rating to EXTREME effective Saturday, June 23.

A Red Flag Warning for Chaffee and Lake Counties was issued Friday by the National Weather Service.  According to the service’s website, those conditions will persist across Chaffee and Lake Counties where winds will be stronger and very hot and dry conditions will continue into the weekend.

Chaffee County, San Isabel National Forest, and BLM lands are all under Stage I restrictions.  In the event that weather forecasts show no improvement in the present conditions, Chaffee County likely will move to Stage II restrictions early next week.

All citizens and visitors are reminded of the critical need for extreme caution and are urged to report any sightings of smoke to the Chaffee County sheriff’s communication center by dialing 911.