SALT LAKE CITY — More counties in Utah have moved into "Stage 2" fire restrictions, banning campfires and other open flames.
As of Wednesday, Washington, Iron, Beaver, Garfield and Kane counties will be in the higher level of fire restrictions. Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties moved into the new level of restrictions on Friday.
Sanpete and Wasatch counties went into the restrictions earlier this month. The Stage 2 restrictions prohibit campfires and open flames on state, federal and unincorporated lands within the state (propane cooking stoves are allowed). Under a Stage 1 restriction, which the rest of Utah is in, campfires are allowed in designated areas. There is no smoking; no welding, grinding or cutting; no fireworks on state lands; no tracer ammunition or exploding targets; and no ATVs or any other motorized vehicle with a combustible engine unless it has a spark arrestor.
FOX 13 reported last week that Utah's Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands was contemplating moving the entire state to a Stage 2 restriction level if enough counties requested it. On Tuesday, interim agency director Jamie Barnes said they were not there yet.
"Each day we are evaluating. However, right now we are not at a point to implement more stringent restrictions on a statewide basis, although some counties have decided it is necessary in their respective boundaries," she said in a statement.
What is not banned under Stage 2 restrictions are fireworks. Those are left up to municipalities to decide. However, fireworks bans are in effect under an order from Governor Spencer Cox on all state and unincorporated private lands. They are also banned on federal lands.
