Utah governor bans personal fireworks as wildfires rage across state

Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced a state of emergency and a temporary prohibition on personal fireworks until July 5 during a press conference on Thursday. The decision comes as the state experiences an unprecedented wildfire season, with blazes that have prompted evacuations in Eureka, a small town about 80 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Under the governor's executive order, the state forester is allowed to ban fireworks anywhere in the state. The order temporarily suspends a 2024 law that prohibited the forester from banning fireworks in cities. Cox emphasized that the move is not about taking decisions away from local communities but rather putting local knowledge at the center. He stated that while the default position is that fireworks are prohibited, local fire chiefs and officials can still designate areas where fireworks are allowed, if weather conditions permit.

As of Friday, Utah had nine active wildfires burning across more than 143,000 acres. So far this year, the state has experienced 373 wildfires, with all but 100 being human-caused. Among the current fires is the Cottonwood fire, discovered on Monday and described by Cox as the most destructive in the state's history. It has burned nearly 72,000 acres and is at 0% containment, forcing the closure of Eagle Point ski resort and damaging several nearby structures.

On the same day the fireworks ban was announced, Salt Lake City's National Weather Service issued a "particularly dangerous situation red flag warning" for the first time in its history. Smoke from the fires continues to blanket surrounding areas, affecting air quality at popular vacation spots such as Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, located far south of the flames. More fire danger is expected as a heat wave blankets the US West Coast, with troubling conditions for states like Colorado and Arizona.