There are two July holidays in Utah that are celebrated with fireworks, Independence Day on July 4 and Pioneer Day on July 24. Last year there was ban on fireworks because of the fires that our area faced, but this year it’s fire restrictions that are being applied.

This means there are certain areas that you cannot light off fireworks. “So the areas, there’s five that have been historically used and this is before I got here as well. Its places like Wood Hill and the northeast corner of the city. What we try to prevent here is fireworks impacting an area that can then go into the wildlands. So the Fire Service would call the wildland interface between urban and wildlands. So we need to protect the county, we need to protect that state, we need to protect our resources. So the restrictions are only in those areas like the Price River is another one, fairgrounds is another one, and then down by Melody Estates is the fifth,” said Price City Fire Chief Fitzgerald Petersen. City Officials believe that citizens will follow this year’s fire restrictions and keep fireworks only in designated areas of the city.

It’s important to have a water source near when you will be lighting fireworks off. “Let’s make sure we keep our fires to a minimum, make sure that you have ample supply of water, make sure you’re disposing of them properly and we’re going to get through this safe just like we do every year,” stated Chief Petersen. Safety should always be the number one priority when using fireworks, for example, adults should never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks without suitable supervision. Discharge of fireworks can be done July 2 through July 5 between the hours of 11:00 am and 11:00 pm.

Another important thing to remember is to secure your pets during this time as the fireworks can scare most animals. “If they’ve escaped before, they’re odds of escaping are probably higher because of the anxiety and the fears and just be the noise, the noise is going to be very upsetting. Keep in mind there’s a lot of groups out there Veterans groups, just be cautious of your neighbors, be knowledgeable about what they go through and be a little bit respectful – just keep it in mind,” said Chief Petersen. Its best to keep your pets indoors as fireworks are being set off.

To learn more about fireworks safety visit the Price City Fire Department on their Facebook page.