Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) West Desert District is reminding the public about Stage 1 fire restrictions ahead of the Independence Day holiday and holiday weekend. These restrictions apply to BLM-managed lands within the counties of Box Elder, Cache, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch and Weber. Additionally, the WDD fire prevention order is still in effect.
“On Tuesday, July 2, BLM responded to three fires across Tooele County and one fire in Utah County with three engines, and one water tender,” said Mike Tateishi, Fire Mitigation and Education Specialist, WDD. “We also called in two single engine air tankers and one air attack. Thankfully, all the fires were small enough that we were able to cancel the air support.”
BLM fire personnel responded to two separate fires on Stansbury Island, one assist with the State Patrol for a vehicle fire off I-80, and one assist with Forest Service in Utah County. The fires were all contained quickly, and are currently under investigation, though initial inspections show signs that the three non-vehicle fires were human caused.
While Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect for the above listed counties, the following acts are prohibited:
- Trash or refuse fires between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 pm, except inside containers provided with spark arresters and located within a cleared area ten feet in radius.
- Building or using any open fire or campfire, except within agency provided fire grates at developed campgrounds, or within fully enclosed stoves, grills, or in stoves using pressurized liquid or gas.
- Use of acetylene cutting torches or electric arc welders, except in cleared areas ten feet in radius.
- Smoking cigarettes, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, developed recreation site or while stopped in a cleared area of at least three feet in diameter that is barren and cleared of all flammable material.
- Operating a chainsaw without a properly installed USDA or SAE approved spark arresting device, a five-pound fire extinguisher and a shovel.
- Using explosives requiring fuses or electric blasting caps.
From June 11 until rescinded, the WDD fire prevention order prohibits:
- The use of steel component ammunition
- The use of steel component targets
- Sky lanterns or similar devices
- Operating off-highway vehicles without spark arresters
BLM statewide fire prevention order, UT 910-23-001, prohibits fireworks, explosives of any kind and tracer and incendiary ammunition year-round.
To prevent a wildfire, the public should always practice good Fire Sense:
- Fully extinguish campfires and avoid building fires when winds are 15 mph or higher
- Avoid target shooting in hot, dry and windy conditions
- Choose a target shooting backstop free of rocks and dry grass – any bullet hitting rocks can create a spark
- Avoid cutting, welding or grinding of metal in areas of dry vegetation
- Keep trailer chains lifted above the ground – dragging chains can create sparks
- Avoid parking a hot vehicle over dry grass
- Maintain tires, wheels and bearing on trailers to prevent mechanical failure
- Check off-highway vehicle exhaust system yearly to ensure the spark arrester is mounted securely and is qualified
- Fully extinguish and properly dispose of cigarettes
BLM prevention orders can be viewed online at Utah – Fire Restrictions | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov), on utahfireinfo.gov and on signs where BLM-managed lands are accessed. The public is reminded to use caution and be prepared to prevent wildfires when visiting public lands. Please keep water, a shovel and a fire extinguisher handy during the dry summer months. In the event of a fire, please call 911.