Firefighters, police watching for illegal firework use over Pioneer Day weekend

SANDY — Firefighters and police in multiple cities were dedicating extra patrols this weekend to watch for problems involving illegally set fireworks as they hoped to avoid new fire starts amid triple-digit heat and bone-dry conditions.

In both Sandy and Cottonwood Heights, personal fireworks were completely banned.

Sandy Fire Battalion Chief Matt Stuebner said fire crews and police were watching the skies and hillsides closely over the Pioneer Day holiday weekend because of the obvious fire hazard.

"We're just seeing a huge threat," Stuebner said during an interview Friday with KSL near Sandy's Hidden Valley Park, which neighbors the hillside. "It will spread so rapidly through this area."

In Cottonwood Heights, meanwhile, police were enforcing a "zero tolerance" policy.

"We are out specifically enforcing this law," said Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Lance Bess, who also serves as the department's emergency manager. "If we catch someone, we're going to immediately confiscate the fireworks. We're going to issue citations, and those citations come with heavy fines — some of them around $1,000."

Signage reminding residents about the no-fireworks rules were visible Friday at many intersections and on electronic boards from Cottonwood Heights to Sandy to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Personal fireworks bans were in place for the weekend in numerous cities across the state.

Bess said wind gusts expected late Friday added an extra component to the danger, and he urged people to be mindful of those conditions.

"It is extremely dangerous — we also have some extremely hazardous conditions here," Bess said. "You just have to utilize common sense, right? Like I say, we are up here in the foothills. We have very dry grasses. Even though we have seen some moisture over the last couple days, it's not been enough to take us out of that extreme hazardous condition."

Not every city planned to be as proactive as Sandy and Cottonwood Heights in their enforcement efforts, but a consistent message from first responders prevailed statewide.

"We want you to be safe, we want you to have fun and to be very aware of your surroundings," Stuebner said.

Stuebner pointed to tall, light "flashy fuels" and sage brush, and said it was possible a fire could run right up the mountain.

He said nobody wanted to see new fires spark at a time when many Utahns were celebrating their pioneer heritage.

"You just don't know how fast it goes," Stuebner said. "If there is a simple spark, we could definitely have a catastrophe on our hands."

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