News 5 is watching out for your safety heading into this Labor Day weekend - specifically those who are camping.
Several counties across the state are under fire restrictions. On Friday night some of those counties included Boulder, Las Animas, and Otero.
Currently, there are no restrictions in counties like El Paso, Pueblo or Teller. However, no matter where you're headed this weekend, restrictions or not, there's some simple fire tips to remember to keep those flames under control.
Mitchell Martin, park manager at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, said, "It's going to be a very busy weekend for us as far as camping goes. We'll be full."
Labor Day weekend - a time for people to soak up the last days of summer and for some, head to places like Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
Camper Wayne Grudnoske said his weekend will include a "little bit of biking, little bit of hiking."
The long weekend means something a little different for everyone.
For 10-year-old Caleb Hoopes it means "a lot more longer time off of school."
For his dad, Eric Hoopes, it's about "enjoying time as a family and just spending authentic time together."
The one thing that rings true - Labor Day weekend means bonfires, something that was banned in parts of the state last year.
Eight-year-old Naomi Hoopes said, "It was pretty dry."
In some cases, the restrictions stopped people from having those classic campfire rituals like having s'mores and telling scary stories.
Thankfully, conditions are different this year due to the huge rainfall this summer, but with that comes a lot of fuel for potential fires.
Jeremy Taylor, program administrator for the Colorado Springs Fire Department Wildfire Mitigation Section, said, "Right now we're having some concerns due to the height and the density of some of our growth."
While they're may not be major bans in place caution is still key.
Martin said, "We recommend that you keep the fire small."
Eric Hoopes asked his kids "Do we just burn the fire everywhere?" They answered "No, just keep it in the fire pit."
Martin's other piece of advice to campers is to keep fires only in designated areas like "the fire pits or in the barbecue grills."
Caleb Hoopes, already fairly knowledgeable about fire safety, said it's important to "light out our fires when we're done with it and if we still have our fire going keep an eye on it."
Following these steps - a simple way to keep you and your fellow campers safe this Labor Day weekend.
If you're camping make sure you check out what fire restrictions your county might have. For more information CLICK HERE.
