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LOGAN — People in one Hyde Park, Cache County, neighborhood are urging everyone to be careful this Pioneer Day, after flames came within feet of several homes.
KSL-TV talked with firefighters who said sparks from fireworks lit up the hillside in a matter of seconds.
On Sunday, 40 to 50 mph winds were fanning flames that were caused by a firework, burning several acres.
"I woke up around midnight to sirens going off," said homeowner Melissa Hayley. "And I looked outside and saw that the area was all covered with smoke."
Hayley said she and her husband decided to get out right away after seeing the flames one street over. Several other homeowners also got out under a mandatory evacuation.
"You can see it right up against the homes here," Hayley said. "Curved around, went into the backyards here."
Cache County Fire Chief Rod Hammer said the tall, dry grasses we're seeing everywhere can light up amazingly fast.
"We've had grass fires almost every day this month," he said. "And everything will start a fire right now."
And Hammer said a large majority of those fires are human-caused.
'It's not worth it'
"It's not worth putting somebody in jeopardy for fun," said homeowner Tina Jackson. "It's not worth it."
Jackson and her family were away camping when they heard about the fire.
"It's scary to see everything you've worked for your whole life to almost go up in flames," Jackson said.
People in the northern Utah neighborhood are urging everyone to use caution in celebrating Pioneer Day.
"I'm irritated and angry that someone possibly in our neighborhood set fireworks off during that windstorm and didn't think that there would be any consequences to that," Hayley said.
Hammer advices against setting any fireworks. Instead, he said to go to a professional display.
