Although not all cities in Emery County and the surrounding areas have banned fireworks, Wayne Huntington, Manager at Stewart’s Market in Castle Dale, has decided to return two large crates of class C fireworks.
It was not an easy decision for Huntington, considering that Stewart’s is the main place to purchase fireworks in Emery County for family activities. It was legal for him to sale them and the profit went out the door with the return. However, he felt that it was the right thing to do. Huntington apologized to customers who would like to purchase fireworks, but considering the extreme drought conditions and the lack of water for the cities, he made the decision.
Castle Dale City Mayor Danny Van Wagoner issued a proclamation banning fireworks earlier this week. Huntington City and Ferron City both had council meetings to discuss the firework situation and ultimately banned fireworks in their city limits. Orangeville City has plans to do the same.
Some of the other cities and towns have also made the same decision. Council members feel that with the grass so dry due to water conservation, any small spark could be disastrous, not to mention the water needed to fill the fire trucks just to be on standby. City councils are requesting citizens to please follow the restrictions and celebrate the upcoming holidays in other ways.