Lainey Anthony works for her mother, who runs TNT Fireworks in Cache County. It is the last Thursday in June and already the stand is open for selling fireworks.
“We just try to make them aware of, you know, just be super safe with everything and make sure you’re good distances away from anything dry and make sure you have water around," Anthony said.
In Utah, it is illegal to discharge fireworks before July 1st, or three days before the nation celebrates independence from Britain. Even though there is a mandatory start date for lighting fireworks in the state, there are different restrictions for the types and use of fireworks.
“Even after the first of July there are restrictions in place for any of the unincorporated areas outside of city limits, private property included. And of course, on state and federal land," said Jason Curry, public information officer for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
The agency is responsible for deciding when and where fireworks can be used outside of city and county limits.
“We do that on a year-by-year basis,” Curry said. “When the fire danger is high, then we look at doing a fireworks restriction, a campfire restriction and everything else. So this year is obviously a dangerous one and we’re enacting those restrictions and a lot of them go into place tomorrow [Friday].”
In northern Utah, fireworks are being restricted even into the Fourth of July for unincorporated areas of Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah Counties. For a complete listing of restricted areas, click here.
