Font Resize- 4th of July
- Jul 3:
- Star-Spangled performances
- Jul 2:
- Utah theater: Young girl + big voice = Two lead roles
- Jonas Brothers set to make another Fourth of July memory in Utah
- Clearfield slates July 4 activities
- Jun 30:
- Mountain West only region where holiday travel expected to be up
- Jun 28:
- Light up the sky: Here's your guide to Independence Day celebrations near you
Some were small, some were big, some were legal and some were not.
However, all the fireworks displayed during the Salt Lake City Fire Department's presentation to the media Wednesday at Station No. 6 had the potential to cause serious injury or fire.
With the Fourth of July only two days away, fire officials more than ever are encouraging residents to use only fireworks approved by the state, and to exercise caution when igniting them, despite the large amount of rain that drenched the area in June -- an above average 2.64 inches.
"We're in a very dry area, even though we got a lot of moisture this year," fire department public information officer Mark Bednarik said.
The recent rains have promoted the growth of vegetation, which is now drying out and becoming a potential fire hazard, Bednarik said. "By the 24th, it'll definitely be dry enough to burn very vigorously," he added.
The dangers associated with pyrotechnics were illustrated by a couple of fires in the previous two days.
South Salt Lake firefighters are investigating whether a firework ignited a blaze in the greeting card section of a Rite Aid store at 635 E. 3300 South on Wednesday afternoon. The fire caused serious smoke damage and some water damage from the sprinklers.
The store fire came in the wake of a grass and brush fire caused by fireworks that burned three acres at Bywater Park in Cottonwood Heights on Tuesday -- one day before it became
Under state law, fireworks can be lighted three days before the holiday, on the holiday and three days after. The four holidays for which fireworks are permissible are the Fourth of July, Pioneer Day, New Year's Day and the Chinese New Year.
Fireworks the state considers legal are cylindrical and cone fountains that shoot no higher than 15 feet and travel no more than 10 feet from the center of the firework.
Utah also allows the use and sale of fireworks that bear the approval seal of California, which has stringent regulations to prevent the spread of wildfires. Information regarding the areas around Salt Lake City where the use of fireworks is restricted can be found at www.slcgov.com/fire.
However, Fire Marshal Martha Ellis said residents should exercise extreme caution even with legal fireworks, making sure to keep them away from children, pets, vehicles and vegetation.
"People shouldn't make the assumption that legal fireworks are safe," Ellis said.
