WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4) – As of Thursday, Fourth of July fireworks are legal to purchase in Utah, but the growing wildfire danger has fire officials concerned.
The extreme drought and dry brush forcing several cities to issue firework restrictions.
“This has been a different and challenging firework season,” Barbara Wolf tells ABC4.
Wolf owns Wild Wolf Fireworks and although restrictions have caused her to close five of her nine locations, she expects this to be a great season.
“It looks like it is going to be a pretty crazy year and we anticipate being sold out pretty quickly,” Wolf said.
Wolf says they are revamping ways to inform customers about firework safety.
“At all of our locations, we have the restrictions maps that are a great, big size so everyone who walks up there, they can look at that map and says ‘hey, I’m in the red, I can’t buy fireworks,” Wolf explains.
“It’s a good year to consider an alternative way to celebrate the Fourth of July,” Kait Webb with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands says.
Officials say this year’s fire danger is even worse than last year. According to the DNR, in 2020, fireworks sparked 65 wildfires alone.
“It’s easy for a fire to spark in general this year, but again, as I mentioned with fireworks, it comes with a lot of sparks,” Webb says.
Wolf says she understands the risk and says fireworks can be fun, given the proper safety precautions, like staying away from dry brush and always having water close by.
“This year, we are harping on it even more so please, brick all of your small 200 grams and if you are doing aerial by an open field, please don’t do it. Be smart about it,” Wolf adds.
Although fireworks can be purchased in Utah, it is only legal to set them off on July 2-5, then again on July 22-25.
