Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency and banned the use of fireworks statewide through July 5 because drought conditions have increased the threat of wildfires.
A historic drought has turned vegetation into kindling and already led to hundreds of wildfires, over 75% of which were caused by people.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” said Gov. Cox, a Republican. “Utahns love celebrating the Fourth of July with family, friends and fireworks. I do too. But this year is different. We are seeing fire behavior that even our most experienced firefighters say they’ve never witnessed before.”
Utah State Forester Jamie Barnes backed the ban.
“We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations,” he said. “Some of the fires we’ve responded to this year are behaving in ways veteran firefighters simply haven’t seen before.”
He said firefighters have been working around the clock and resources are stretched to the limit. “We cannot afford preventable ignitions during the days ahead,” he said.
Normally, Utahns are allowed to ignite fireworks between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on the three-day stretches surrounding Independence Day and Pioneer Day on July 24, and for two-hour windows on New Year’s Eve and the Lunar New Year.
Under the governor’s order, municipalities will be able to consult with their local fire officials to designate areas where fireworks can still be set off safely.
Currently, 94% of Utah is in severe or extreme drought conditions. During the 2026 fire season, 354 fires have started, affecting over 141,000 acres, according to the governor’s office.
National Interagency Fire Center identified ongoing wildfires in Utah:
• The Cottonwood fire affecting over 70,000 acres in and around Fishlake National Forest, located about 184 miles south of Salt Lake City.
• The Iron fire affecting over 40,000 acres near Eureka, Utah, about 57 miles southwest of Salt Lake City,
Not everyone is convinced that the governor’s restrictions on fireworks will make a difference.
“For America 250, he thinks people won’t shoot fireworks? Instead, they will seek to avoid enforcement and not set off fireworks in their front yard (the safest place) and shoot them far away from enforcement, increasing the risk of fires 10-fold,” State legislator Rep. Matt McPherson, a Republican, wrote on X.
Mr. McPherson is also the owner of a fireworks company, according to KUTV-TV.
