West Jordan bans aerial fireworks after July 4 fires burned through resources

After several fires burned throughout the state on July 4, the West Jordan City Council voted Friday evening to ban aerial fireworks on Pioneer Day.

The City Council approved the ban with a vote of 4-2, according to city spokeswoman Kim Wells. Cottonwood Heights enacted a similar ban Wednesday. Councilman David Newton voted against the ban, as did Councilman Chris McConnehey, who proposed that the ban extend through Sept. 30. Utah law prohibits aerial fireworks between July 27 and Sept. 30.

The ban applies from July 21 to 27, according to West Jordan Deputy Fire Chief Reed Scharman.

Ground fireworks aren't the focus of the ban, Scharman said. The City Council and fire department may designate a plot of land on city property where residents can use aerial fireworks, he said.

The ban applies to fireworks this year, Scharman said, and potential bans on fireworks for future Fourth of July and Pioneer Day (July 24) celebrations will be addressed before next July.

"The conditions that exist this year, with the extremely tall and dry grass, is what has prompted the level of heightened concern, versus past years, and they want to act accordingly," he said.

The Fire Department brought the request to the City Council after firefighters' resources were stretched thin on the Fourth of July. Crews battled nine firework-caused blazes that evening, and they responded to 13 other fires that may have been firework related, according to Scharman.

"The problem this year is that everybody was busy," Scharman said.

In addition to West Jordan's fires, crews assisted neighboring departments on 10 fires outside of West Jordan, including an apartment fire in Midvale.

"The concern this year was that a fire would be reported and there would be no fire crews available," Scharman said.

The West Jordan Fire Department responds to an average of 14 calls a day for either medical help or reports of fires. On July 4, the department responded to 22 reported fires and 22 calls for medical help.

"The challenge isn't just the total number of fires. The challenge can be when they're occurring simultaneously," Scharman said.

tfrandsen@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tiffany_mf