CEDAR HILLS, Utah County — Utah fire officials are once again urging people to celebrate the Fourth of July responsibly, especially this year, as much of the state faces increased wildfire danger.
On Thursday morning, several Utah County fire departments gathered at Mesquite Park in Cedar Hills to deliver a unified safety message and demonstrate how to properly dispose of used fireworks.
Behind them, a visible burn scar from a wildfire that burned last week served as a reminder of how dry conditions are and the fire risk.
“We love our holidays,” said Battalion Chief Justin Whatcott, with the American Fork Fire Department. “We want people to have fun and enjoy their holidays with their families or whoever else they’re spending time with. We just want to stress the importance of being safe and cognizant of what’s around them.”
Firefighters demonstrated a simple but effective safety tip: After using fireworks, soak them in a bucket of water before throwing them away.
They have seen examples of used fireworks melting trash cans, reigniting hours later, or even sparking fires when disposed of improperly.
That’s a particular concern this year.
Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place across most of Utah, meaning campfires and open flames are banned outside of designated areas.
With dry grass, high heat, and low humidity, fire officials say fireworks can easily lead to a wildfire.
“They always think, ‘It’s not going to happen to me, I know what I’m doing, leave me alone, let us do our thing,'” said Payson Fire Chief Scott Spencer. “Even when we talk about illegal fireworks, ‘We’re OK.’ But the problem is, those illegal fireworks — there’s a reason they’re illegal — because they’re not safe and sane, and we have problems with those when people light them and then the hot embers fall blocks away or in another neighbor’s yard that may have dry grass.”
Last week’s wildfire in Cedar Hills is still under investigation, but fire managers say it was human-caused.
The fire came dangerously close to homes, but firefighters were able to stop it before any structures were lost.
According to state fire data, of the 448 wildfires reported in Utah this year, 336 were human-caused, which is roughly 75%.
Fire officials say that means 3 out of every 4 wildfires in Utah this season could have been prevented.
“We are one spark away from chaos,” said Garrett Nielsen, who is Utah County’s fire warden. “Obviously we say that every year, but this year has us on our toes and ready to respond. We’re just waiting to see what happens and take it day by day.”
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