Utah governor orders ban on fireworks as wildfires rage across state | Utah
Utah governor Spencer Cox announced that he declared a state of emergency and that personal use of fireworks was temporarily banned until July 5. The announcement comes as the state is experiencing an unprecedented wildfire season, with blazes prompting evacuations in Eureka, a small town about 80 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Under the governor’s executive order, the state forester is allowed to ban the use of fireworks anywhere in the state. Order temporarily suspended 2024 law That didn’t allow the forestry to ban fireworks in cities across the state.
“This is not about taking decisions out of the hands of local communities. We actually want to put local knowledge at the center of this process,” Cox said at a news conference Thursday.
He added that while the state’s default position is that fireworks are prohibited, local fire chiefs and officials can still determine where fireworks are allowed if the hot, dry and windy conditions that fuel the fires allow it.
“We think it strikes the right balance,” Cox said.
As of Friday, there were nine active wildfires burning more than 143,000 acres in Utah. state wildfire control panel. So far this year in Utah There were 373 forest fires. All but 100 of these are caused by humans.
Current fires include the Cottonwood fire, which authorities discovered Monday and was described by Cox as the most destructive blaze in state history. Approximately 72,000 acres have burned so far and are 0% contained, according to Utah fire information. At the same time forced to close Collapse of Eagle Point ski resort and damage to many surrounding structures.
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In addition to scrambling to extinguish new fires, rising smoke continues to shroud surrounding areas. The smoke columns remain high enough to be visible from across the state, affecting air quality in popular vacation destinations like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, which lie far south of the blazes.
More fire danger expected and troubling conditions for states as heat wave sweeps across US West Coast colorado And Arizona.
