Stage 1 fire restrictions now in place for Northern Utah

LEHI — You know a big summer holiday is coming when the Willes family sets up in the Lehi High School parking lot, especially when that holiday is celebrated with fireworks.

“It is our Heaven. We wait for months and months for this,” Shane Willes said.

Willes is the dude who owns Some Dude’s Fireworks.

He has been in business for nearly a decade and has become well-known in the area for his selection of fireworks at a fair price.

“Ever since I was a kid, when I saw the first boom go up in the air, they had me,” he said with a laugh.

For as much as he loves the business he is in, Willes also enjoys teaching people to be safe.

“It is by far the most important aspect of it,” he said.

“While these activities create fun and lasting memories, it’s important to understand that they also pose serious threats and risks if not approached with caution,” the Department of Natural Resources said in a press release. “Remember, your efforts can make a significant difference in preventing wildfires.”

Willes said fireworks are powerful, and advised using bricks to surround boxes of shooting fireworks to help keep them from tipping over. The DNR said that it’s best practice to ignite them one at a time and place them on stable, vegetation-free surfaces.

After lighting fireworks, he said you should make sure to douse them to keep them from starting a fire. According to the DNR, the tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, and can easily ignite any dry vegetation.

“It is always a good idea if you have a bucket of water,” Willes said.

He feels nothing ruins fun like something going bad.

That’s one reason fire managers across the state are concerned about this week.

Kelly Wickens with Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands said there is concern about fireworks near dry vegetation.

“If there is a spark, they will start on fire,” Kelly Wickens said.

Northern Utah is now under Stage 1 fire restrictions because of the hot and dry conditions.

That means no campfires outside of designated areas, no metal cutting or welding in dry areas, no smoking near vegetation, and especially this week, no fireworks on public lands.

The restrictions are for federal, state, and unincorporated private land.

Each city or town will have its own set of rules and regulations.

“The hotter and drier conditions are causing the grasses to turn brown pretty quickly right now, but even still, green grass can burn,” Wickens said. “We have been fortunate the past couple of years with fewer wildfires, but this year because of the wetter spring, we have more vegetation and it is drying up fast.”

Dustin Richards, fire management officer with Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said human-caused fire is a concern.

So far this year, 286 of the 396 wildfires in Utah were human-caused.

“Human-caused wildfires are currently at their highest levels in the past three years,” Richards said. “Once again, Utah received a lot of snow this year, resulting in new growth of grass and shrubs. With all this additional vegetation, it only takes one spark to start a wildfire.”

That is why Willes said he’s telling his customers about safety.

With as much as he has already sold, he is asking people to be smart when celebrating.

“Just use common sense is the main thing,” he said. “Have fun but be safe.”