Due to an increase in extreme wildfire behavior, Stage 2 Fire Restrictions have been put into effect across much of Utah. “Utah’s lower-elevation rangelands are critically dry, and fire behavior across the state has been extreme this year,” shares BLM Fire Management Officer Chris Delaney. “With hot, windy conditions, even small sparks can quickly turn into fast-moving wildfires. Stage 2 restrictions are necessary to protect these vulnerable landscapes and nearby communities.”
The restrictions apply to all state and private unincorporated lands in the State, as well as some federal agencies, including the BLM, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service with the exception of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests. Stage 2 means there are added prohibitions on fire or campfires even at home, smoking, fireworks and other pyrotechnics, cutting/welding/grinding metal, and operating machines with small internal combustion engines without a working spark arrestor. Violating Stage 2 restrictions is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1000.
