Park City bans fireworks, open fires ahead of Pioneer Day
(KUTV) — Park City has banned fireworks and open fires as fire danger continues to be extremely high in Utah.
Residential BBQs and briquettes are the only exceptions, according to a statement from the city. The order will stay in effect until officials rescind it.
Violations of the order may result in fines and cost recovery of fire-fighting expenses for sparking the blaze.
“Over the past several weeks we have been monitoring these conditions and have determined the need to enact an Open Flame and Fireworks ban throughout the City,” Thacker stated in a news release. “This ban aligns with the Summit County Fire Warden’s Open Fire and Fireworks ban issued on July 20, 2020.”
RELATED: Fire restrictions in northern Utah counties: What you need to know
The Park City Council enacted an ordinance in 2016 giving authority to restrict open sources of ignition and fireworks to the City Fire Code Official based on the ever-changing hazardous environmental conditions.
This comes after two teens were charged with starting the Traverse Fire in Lehi that forced dozens of people to evacuate.
Officials determined that three teens sparked the nearly 12,000 acre Turkey Farm Fire in near Washington City with fireworks.
A local grocery store said they support the decision and they’re doing their part to help the city manage it.
If you walk into The Market at Park City, just off of Snow Creek Drive, you’ll see their firework displays are empty.
Store director, Rush Hotchkiss, and his team moved quickly. Within 24 hours, they pulled all the fireworks from the store.
“For safety. We don’t want to be responsible for fires or anything like that,” Hotchkiss said. "Summit County issued a ban on all fireworks, including sparklers, pop-its. So, we’ve pulled everything off the shelves and we’ll be sending everything back.”
Hotchkiss said they plan to return the fireworks they did have.
“We’re definitely not trying to minimize people’s ability to celebrate the holiday coming up,” Dave Thacker said. He’s the fire code official for Park City Municipal and made the final call to ban all open flames.
“We begin evaluating conditions as soon as the snow starts to melt,” Thacker said.
In 2016, Park City Council voted to give him the authority to make a decision to ban fireworks effective immediately.
“This week the conditions did change. The weather we’re having, the dry conditions,” he said.
Thacker considers moisture, temperature and forecast. Ahead of the holiday, he said there is too much at risk.
“In our mountains, we have homes, we have properties, we have resorts that could be significantly impacted with any type of fire,” Thacker said.
So, even if it means taking product of their shelves, grocers like Hotchkiss say it’s worth it.
“I don’t want to be the person responsible for selling something that might burn someone’s house down.”
For the latest on wildfires in Utah, click here.
