Fireworks restrictions will be taken seriously by police and residents

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SALT LAKE CITY — They’re stepping up hillside patrols, even threatening to put offenders behind bars.

Several police agencies along the Wasatch Front are increasing enforcement of fire restrictions for the Fourth of July holiday and beyond.

In Summit County, deputies already booked one man into jail for allegedly starting a bonfire near Echo Reservoir Friday. Investigators said the man claimed responsibility for the fire. The confession didn’t elicit sympathy.

“If you’re going to violate the fire code this year, you’re going to be taken to jail,” Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said. “We’ve got the room to do it and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. It’s that dangerous out there.”

Edmunds is the head of one of the agencies taking “zero-tolerance” policies against fire restriction law breakers.

In Davis County, Sheriff Todd Richardson said he authorized extra shifts for deputies to patrol hillsides during the holiday. Deputies are expected to be armed with ATVs and a Humvee in addition to the regular slate of SUVs and trucks.

“This isn’t just an incident that we’re looking at loss of property,” Richardson said. “There’s a high probability of loss of life at the same time.”

Deputy Mike Ditolla led a tour Monday of what’s known as Firebreak Road above Farmington. Beside the dirt trail, bone dry brush and yellow grass are abundant.

“The past few weeks we’ve been out there handing out a lot of warnings, letting folks know that the regulations are in effect,” Ditolla said of hillsides in the county. “And starting this week — based on the danger being so high — we’re going to start handing out citations for it.”

Other police agencies talked of stricter enforcement and putting additional resources in the field.

Ogden Police Lt. Chad Ledford said he will be sending out four full-time officers with patrolling fire teams to look for violators, rather than using volunteers they dispatched in past years.

Weber County Sheriff’s Capt. Klint Anderson said deputies in his jurisdiction will be more inclined to issue citations than they have in past years.

In Utah County, deputies will focus on fire restriction enforcement in canyon areas over the coming weeks, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

Additional police agencies — including Salt Lake police, Unified police and Provo police — are planning to be extra vigilant about potential problems.

“We’re in extreme danger right now across the state — across the West — and we need to take those precautions,” Davis County Fire Marshal Ellis Bruch said.

Holladay residents in Olympus Hill Park Tuesday were adamant about keeping their neighborhood safe from fire.

"The fire hazard that we have right now, it's our responsibility as citizens to protect what we've got," said Shelly Peterson.

Rebekah Smith said she wouldn't hesitate to call the police if she saw someone setting off fireworks in her neighborhood, which is an area where fireworks are prohibited.

"I would call the police. It is just irresponsible in this climate right now," she said. "I think these are unusual times and we need to be careful. People should be responsible."