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SL Co. Mayor asks for input on personal fireworks ban

Posted at 12:45 PM, Jul 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-07 16:53:44-04

SALT LAKE CITY — The mayor of Salt Lake County is asking residents if they would support a ban on personal fireworks.

On Facebook and Twitter, Mayor Ben McAdams posted a survey about whether fireworks should be banned. He referenced the numerous fires that occurred over the Independence Day holiday linked to fireworks.

FOX 13 reported Thursday night that in response to numerous complaints about fireworks, House Minority Whip Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City, was contemplating a bill that would either ban personal fireworks outright or severely restrict them.

In an interview Friday, Mayor McAdams referenced Briscoe’s comments as driving his survey.

“We are Salt Lake County. We are about 30 percent of the state’s population and so we just wanted to solicit what people in Salt Lake County thought about that. Either a statewide ban or something more local or in-between,” the mayor said.

The Utah State Forester has already banned fireworks from all state lands because of the dry and hot conditions. Numerous local municipalities across Utah have also implemented restrictions for both July Fourth and the upcoming Pioneer Day holiday.