SALT LAKE CITY — Mayors of communities all over Utah met on Friday to break down what they can and can't do under Governor Spencer Cox's executive order that essentially bans fireworks.
"You’re just trying to get your arms around what these new options entail," Bountiful Mayor Kate Bradshaw, who is the president of the Utah League of Cities & Towns, told FOX 13 News on Friday.
Faced with catastrophic wildfires burning all over the state and fears of more as fireworks sales begin, Gov. Cox effectively banned fireworks in a series of legal maneuvers to sidestep laws that prohibit him and cities from enacting fireworks bans. The governor declared a state of emergency for wildfires which allowed him to suspend the law on fireworks. The Utah State Forester then issued a default ban, but then allowed cities to now designate areas where people can light fireworks.
City leaders were frustrated that until Thursday's executive order, they could restrict fireworks — but not ban them — even in areas where they were very worried about wildfire risk. Fire departments were feeling stretched thin as some have been called to neighboring communities to battle wildfires leaving their own towns unprotected.
"What I liked about this is the governor gave me options I did not have at the beginning of this week through this action," Mayor Bradshaw said.
In a video posted to Threads, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall praised Gov. Cox's actions and said the capital city will have no designated area for fireworks. Other communities like Provo, Sandy, Draper, Herriman, West Valley City and Midvale have said they will also have all-out bans and encouraged people to attend professional shows sponsored by cities.
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Other communities were designating "safe spaces" for fireworks. Spanish Fork, for example, took its existing fireworks map and kept it in place making entire neighborhoods areas where people can light off fireworks.
"We’re trying to balance some things. We know that fireworks are an exciting part of people’s traditions and how they celebrate the holidays," a city spokesperson told FOX 13 News.
Blanding published maps showing a small area in the center of town that fireworks could be set off, prohibiting them in the rest of the community. Castle Dale, which is northeast of the massive Cottonwood Fire, said it was planning to designate a park as a location where people could come and light off fireworks under the supervision of the fire department.
"There’s going to be people that are going to light regardless," Mayor Danny Van Wagoner told FOX 13 News. "I'd rather monitor it and be there than have it go all over town. Hopefully this will centralize it and keep it there."
Mayor Van Wagoner said he was happy with Gov. Cox's executive order.
"It kind of throws the ball, I believe, back into the city’s hands to make the decision where it should actually be," he said.
In Heber, the city council met on Thursday to impose a series of strict fireworks restrictions but also designate areas for people to light fireworks. By Friday afternoon, it shifted to all-out ban citing extreme fire conditions with violations resulting in $1,000 fines.
"The Wasatch County Fire District has approached all municipalities within Wasatch County to request a unified local ban on private property fireworks during the high-risk legal discharge window from July 2nd through July 6th," an emergency order signed by Mayor Heidi Franco said.
On Thursday, Gov. Cox said he had consulted with legislative leaders but acknowledged not everyone in the Utah State Legislature is a fan of his executive order.
"I think it’s actually going to do the opposite of what the governor hopes," Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, said.
Rep. MacPherson, who owns a fireworks business, said many smaller, family-owned businesses will suffer because the governor never halted fireworks sales. Even though Gov. Cox did encourage people to still buy fireworks with a promise of possibly lighting them off later in the year, but Rep. MacPherson countered the confusion will result in lost sales.
He also feared people will illegally light fireworks in areas where it's more dangerous.
"They might be afraid of enforcement and they’re going to try to do it in a more secretive location, which is far more dangerous. The safest place to set it off in a city like West Valley? Is right on the street in front of your own home," Rep. MacPherson said.
The lawmaker did not rule out legal action against the state.
"I’m definitely consulting with with attorneys to see if that’s something that might be possible, to get an injunction in place," Rep. MacPherson told FOX 13 News. "But I think timing-wise it would be very unlikely to see that affect the Fourth of July season."
Gov. Cox's executive order can only last 30 days which gets the state through the legal fireworks period of July 2 through July 5. The governor said he will re-evaluate for the Pioneer Day holiday on July 24.
Mayor Bradshaw said cities have been hearing from their constituents.
"People have deep feels about this topic and it’s across the board from real worry about wildfire risk to concern about how it impacts traditional celebrations to just wanting to know what the thing is so they can plan," she said.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson on Friday instituted an all-out ban which effectively covered cities within Utah's most populous county.
"The conditions are simply too risky right now. Please find new, fun ways to celebrate this year," she wrote on Threads.
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