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MOAB, Utah (KSTU) — With Utah’s emergency order banning fireworks set to expire next week, at least one city has decided it will continue a fireworks ban.
Moab’s City Council voted to declare a state of emergency and ban fireworks before Governor Spencer Cox decided to issue his own emergency order that led to a statewide ban. It was for the entire month of July.
“You could see the smoke coming in from the Babylon Fire,” Moab Fire Chief TJ Brewer told FOX 13 News. “We were getting concern from the community.”
The Babylon Fire, burning about an hour south of Moab, is the nation’s largest wildfire, having torched more than 106,000 acres. As of Wednesday, it is only 54% contained. It is one of many wildfires still burning across the state that has destroyed property and forced entire communities to evacuate.
Utah is in drought and wildfire conditions are extreme. Grasses and trees are dry, allowing fires to spread. So far, more than 382,000 acres have burned and the majority of fires are human-caused. Firefighters have pleaded with Utahns to do what they can to avoid sparking more wildfires.
When Moab declared a state of emergency and enacted a ban, it was testing state laws that blocked cities and towns from enacting all-out fireworks bans except in limited circumstances (such as when a community is entirely in a wildland area).
“It’s a little creative, I think. It was a way for us to really come up with some legislative backing to allow us to do that and we just really believe that fire is a huge issue,” Moab Mayor Joette Langianese said in an interview with FOX 13 News last month.
Then, Gov. Cox declared a state of emergency because of extreme wildfire risk and suspended the laws. It allowed the Utah State Forester to issue an order declaring a statewide fireworks ban — but giving cities the power to allow fireworks with restrictions. It also gave communities like Moab some political backing for enacting fireworks bans.
Utah State Forester Jamie Barnes told FOX 13 News last week that she is still evaluating whether to seek a new emergency order for the upcoming Pioneer Day holiday, but wildfire conditions had not improved. Gov. Cox’s office said Wednesday he was still reviewing things and no decision has been made.
Under laws passed by the Utah State Legislature during the COVID pandemic, a governor’s emergency order is only good for 30 days. Then the legislature has to meet in special session to vote on extending the ban. Gov. Cox could issue a brand new emergency order.
But if Gov. Cox opts not to issue a new order to cover the Pioneer Day holiday, Moab’s ban would remain in effect. Brewer said residents were supportive of the ban over the Fourth of July.
“The community has stood behind it. We thought we might have some complaints. We’ve had zero complaints that I’ve heard of,” he said. “We had zero firework incidents on the Fourth of July, which is outstanding. We usually have at least a dozen or so, but there was zero. We ended up having a structure fire that day but it had nothing to do with fireworks.”
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