The Utah State Forester issued an order on July 21, 2026, enabling municipalities to request expanded restrictions on fireworks within their borders. The decision followed the determination that additional measures were necessary to prevent forest and rangeland fires due to current and forecasted weather conditions and an executive order from Governor Cox declaring a state of emergency.
The order was issued in consultation with the Governor's Office and the Department of Public Safety. While a statewide fireworks ban was deemed unnecessary for the Pioneer Day Holiday due to sporadic improvements in wildfire risk from monsoonal rains and increased humidity, the State Forester determined that many locations still met extremely hazardous conditions.
Because of varied wildfire conditions across the state, municipalities were granted flexibility. Localities could choose to allow fireworks within preexisting designated areas or request the State Forester to issue an order prohibiting fireworks within their specific political subdivision. The State Forester sought additional input from municipal mayors and fire chiefs regarding areas that saw improvement versus those that remained hazardous.
The order specified that the discharge of fireworks was banned throughout the state except within the municipal boundaries of Utah cities and towns for the duration of July 22, 2026, through July 25, 2026.
To request an expanded ban, a municipality was required to notify the State Forester in writing by 2:00 p.m. (MDT) on July 21, 2026. This notification had to include a map or coordinates of the requested area. If a municipality's mayor and fire chief determined local conditions were acceptable, they could choose not to opt into the statewide ban, allowing fireworks to be discharged according to municipal maps.
The order noted that firework displays and performances licensed by the Utah State Fire Marshall Division and permitted by a municipality, county, or fire district were excepted from the restrictions. The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group had elevated the National Preparedness to Level 5, which strained wildland firefighting resources across the United States.
Prior to this order, the State Forester had issued an order on June 26, 2026, banning fireworks within municipal boundaries except for areas jointly determined by a municipality's mayor and fire chief.
The State Forester determined that all areas within Utah qualified as extremely hazardous conditions under the National Fire Danger Rating System due to unprecedented drought conditions.
