Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Jed Boal ReportingAs we head into Pioneer Day Weekend, the state is heating up and drying out again, and firefighters fear the kind of damage a single spark can cause right now.
As dry as it is, Utah firefighters scrambled on Independence Day weekend to douse fires started by fireworks. Now they're making a plea to all of us to leave the fireworks at home and use only legal fireworks.
A fire roared through a gully in Cottonwood Heights a week ago. Flames quickly consumed dry grass and brush and threatened homes before firefighters got it under control. The fire was started by an undetermined human cause, but firefighters say fireworks may well have been the culprit.
The Interagency Fire Prevention Education Team demonstrated how sparks from even small fireworks can start a major wildfire.
Joanna Wilson, Interagency Fire Prevention Education Team: "The fire danger here is extreme. You've seen al the fires throughout the state. It will only take a spark to start a wildfire this season."
These dry conditions are exactly what we see across the entire state. Some people have had pockets of rain here and there. But, for the most part, the state is tinder dry.
Ron Morris, State Fire Marshal: "The undergrowth got a good start. Now with the July temperatures we had in June, you can see how dry the field is. Fire danger is very high right now."
Fireworks are not allowed on any public lands in Utah, state or federal. Legal fireworks are only legal three days prior to Pioneer Day and three days after.
Firefighters need all of us to help keep a lid on this danger, and the fire marshal says the public has been very cooperative in the past.
