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A number of recent fires in Utah can be blamed on fireworks. The state fire marshal says even though Utah has been fortunate so far this year, a big wildfire could happen at any time, and he doesn't want fireworks to be the cause.
Utah law allows only fireworks that don't shoot higher than 15 feet or go farther than 10 feet in circumference. Now many of us know the fireworks we buy out of state certainly do that. Unfortunately, the state fire marshal says those are the same fireworks responsible for many of our fires.
Sometimes the end result of lighting fireworks just isn't worth the price of the fireworks. Spending a few bucks for fun has cost about a $100,000 in damage already.
Chad Tucker, with the Ogden City Fire Department, said some juveniles messing around with fireworks burned down a Smith and Edwards storage warehouse last night. "It was an accidental fireworks. They were playing with fireworks and had an accidental fire from that," he said.
Although Tucker says it was an accident, Utah's fire marshal, Ron Morris, says it's an accident that happens way too often. "Kids shouldn't be unsupervised with any of these things. They should be supervised to make sure they're safe," he said.
Besides the Ogden fire, fireworks are also being blamed for fires in Draper, Mapleton and Magna. Morris said, "The state is still really a tinderbox, and any little spark could start a major fire."
What really worries Morris, though, are the fireworks illegal to Utah. He said, "The majority of them are non-Utah fireworks that have started the fires."
One exception, though, is that Draper fire from last week. Investigators believe children playing with a smoke bomb, which is perfectly legal in Utah, started that fire. Unfortunately, they chose to light it in an unsafe area.
However, Morris says that fire is not the norm when it comes to fireworks fires. He feels those lighting illegal fireworks cause much more damage than it's worth. "If they didn't buy their fireworks in Utah, please don't light them in Utah," he said.
The juveniles involved in Ogden's fire have been charged with reckless burning and reckless endangerment. Illegal fireworks use is something Ogden officials say they're trying to crack down on.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
