Utah Firefighters Patrol The Streets As People Begin Shooting Fireworks
Jul 2, 2021, 10:53 PM | Updated: Jul 5, 2023, 12:39 pm
DRAPER, Utah — In a season as dry as the one Utah’s in, headed into a holiday weekend marked by fireworks, the crew at fire station 22 in Draper said they weren’t waiting around for the call. They and firefighters across the state have extra staff on hand and will be patrolling the streets this weekend.
“[We are] making sure people are trying to be safe, educating if they’re not and making sure that they are following the law,” said Capt. Tyson McQuiston with the Draper City Fire Department.
The Unified Fire Authority and departments like Provo City Fire said they will also be out in force this weekend, when Utahns can light off fireworks from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and through midnight on the Fourth in select areas across the state.
But many cities have enacted bans and identified restricted areas where fireworks are not allowed.
Firefighters urged people who plan to set off fireworks to check their maps online.
“We haven’t had the moisture, so our fuels, our grasses, brushes and that’s just ready to ignite,” McQuiston said. “So, we have high fire danger this year.”
McQuiston said residents will notice the city map for fireworks is “a little more restrictive this year.”
The fire marshal made sure the map was posted at grocery stores and fireworks stands across the city so no one could claim they didn’t know where to light off fireworks.
“Most of the agencies throughout the valley have increased staffing, so if there is a fire, we can get on it quicker,” McQuiston said. “But also, so that there’s more of a presence out there.”
In areas where fireworks are allowed, McQuiston said they want to make sure people aren’t lighting them off near brush and debris, that they’re not modifying them and that they have a bucket of water or a hose nearby to soak the fireworks after they’ve been lit.
He said they respond to garbage fires every year.
“Have fun. Be smart and be careful,” said McQuiston
Draper fire crews have also been proactive in recent weeks, digging trails and fire breaks near the mountains, in order to prevent flames from spreading, in the event a fire starts in a restricted area.
