SALT LAKE CITY — Local firefighters are concerned about fires starting over the next few days with extreme heat, dry ground, fireworks and campers. To help, the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities has put some restrictions in place.
The city has banned campfires at 30 campsites in City Creek Canyon.
“In dry conditions like this, we have a predominance of dry fuels and warm temperatures," said Laura Briefer, the department's director. "We want to take every precaution we can."
With the dry ground and vegetation, the public utilities department is trying to protect all of the land in City Creek Canyon from burning.
“There are a number of fires active around Northern Utah in the urban wildlife interface, and that’s what we’re really concerned about too — is just having a fire start in close proximity to where we have development,” Briefer said.
One way to do that is banning campfires in the City Creek Recreational areas.
“People are still welcome to go outside there and enjoy the picnic sites and cook, but they can only use propane tanks,” Briefer said.
Fireworks are another concern when it comes to starting fires. While you can’t light them off in City Creek Canyon, you can light them off in other areas around the state starting Monday in celebration of Pioneer Day.
“We do not want a fire to start in that urban wildland interface. It could affect our properties, our watersheds, and so we just really need people to follow the rules,” Briefer said.
To help prevent fires from starting, firefighters recommend:
- Having a bucket of water close by
- Put the fireworks in water once they’ve burned out
- Only allow adults to light fireworks
- Always keep your distance
- Only use fireworks in a clear open space away from dried grass and brush
Fireworks can be lit from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and until midnight on the 24th of July.
There are also a number of restrictions on where you can and can’t light fireworks. For a list of restricted areas, click here.
