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SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns celebrated their newfound freedom and liberation from an aerial fireworks ban with gusto — lighting up the night sky on the Fourth of July well after it turned to morning — and doing it loudly.
"The thing that's interesting is that with these new fireworks, people were like a kid in a candy shop," said State Fire Marshal Brent Halladay. "There were fireworks going off everywhere."
The test, fire officials say, will be in the weeks to come as Utah continues to dry out.
There's a new play in town. We just finished Act 1, the time from now until July 20 is Act 2 and Act 3 is July 24th.
–Brent Halladay, state fire marshal
"There's a new play in town. We just finished Act 1, the time from now until July 20 is Act 2 and Act 3 is July 24th," Halladay said. "It's all new and there's a tremendous amount of burnable fuels."
Utah joins other states across the country that have either modified fireworks restrictions or bans previously in place, figuring it's better to capture lost revenue rather than try to enforce the unenforceable.
"You can only make people obey the law when the majority of people wish to obey the law," Halladay said.
"You cannot go write everybody in town a ticket. … It is like Prohibition."
A new law that took effect this year extends Utah's fireworks season from June 26 to July 26, lifting prohibitions on aerial or "cake" fireworks that shoot as high as 150 feet in the air. Cherry bombs, firecrackers, Roman candles and single and reloadable mortars remain illegal.
Halladay said the interest in the newly legal fireworks has been intense.
"If we cannot as human beings put it up in the air, we somehow feel cheated," Halladay said. "We like to have those aerial displays — it fills that void in Utah we have missed for so long."
One fire crews responded to early Monday morning came within 100 yards of Silver Hills Elementary School in Kearns.
Firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 5770 W. 5100 South around 2:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found a small fire burning in the field behind the school and a large "cake" firework nearby.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, but firefighters believe the firework may be involved.
This is the first year that cake fireworks are legal in Utah. Fireworks can be used until July 26. The new law calls for at least 30 feet of space from fields or structures for cake fireworks. Some of them need at least 150 feet of air space.
People whose misuse of fireworks results in a fire may have to pay for the damage and cost to fight the fire.
Still, Burningham says fireworks are a fun tradition and can be done safely and legally.
"We just don't want people to get lackadaisical and think there are no issues with these new fireworks. We are very much anxious and nervous about this and want people to use good judgment," he said.
"If people will use common sense and be reasonable in what they do, mindful of the precautions, you can have a good time," Halladay said. "If not, these things will bite you. They will turn around and bite you."
While fires and fireworks-related injuries were relatively few and far between over the weekend, most agencies reported a noticeable uptick in noise complaints caused by revelers who didn't want the Independence Day celebrations to end.
West Jordan Battalion Chief Reed Scharman said the time frame for discharging fireworks may have been extended to a 30-day window from June 26 to July 26 — but noise ordinances remain in effect.
"Because the public was given more days on which they can launch, they have seemingly forgotten what time they can launch."
But like a child giddy over a new toy, revelers were lighting fireworks way into the wee hours of the morning, with several police agencies logging multiple complaints.
"I was out at midnight," said Salt Lake Fire Capt. Mark Bednarik," and there were still fireworks going off. These new fireworks have brought a new level of intrigue."
Mindful of the potential for brush fires that will be stoked by extremely high vegetation nursed along this spring, many fire departments imposed restrictions on the benches or areas were accessibility is a challenge.
Scharman said each year people complain and each year they learn to live with it.
Story written with contributions from Amy Joi O-Donoghue and Shara Park .
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