COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — After hearing from dozens of residents about fireworks, the Cottonwood Heights City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban aerial fireworks within city limits during Pioneer Day celebrations and the next five months.
This decision comes on the heels of several brush fires in Cottonwood Heights that investigators say were caused by fireworks. The council passed the ordinance in response to extreme fire danger in the area due to high temperatures and shifting winds around Big and Little Cottonwood canyons.
One of those fires happened on July 4 and damaged Dave Schoeneck’s home. “It’s just reckless,” Schoeneck said. “It’s irresponsible.”
Richard Otterstrom, 49, of Cottonwood Heights, faces misdemeanor charges accusing him of setting off fireworks that sparked a grass fire in Cottonwood Heights and damaged Schoeneck’s home.
“It’s just like wow, ya know. It just blows our mind because it doesn’t look like our home,” Schoeneck said when talking about the damage from the brush fire.
“Something has got to change,” he told the council Tuesday. “It still almost burnt my house down.”
While some residents disagree with the ban, the City Council voted unanimously on a temporary ban of aerial fireworks that reach more than 15 feet in the air. Within Cottonwood Heights city limits, aerial fireworks are banned through Dec. 29.
“Council members also expressed sympathy for those who may have already purchased personal aerial fireworks, along with businesses that sell banned items,” a council statement says. Council members acknowledged this new ban will be tough to enforce during the upcoming Pioneer Day celebrations because of the short notice, but they hope the community will help keep people responsible and report any suspicious activity.
“It’s definitely a start,” Schoeneck said. “It’s not the long-term solution that we need statewide, but it’s a start.”
Schoeneck says he wants to also raise the issue with the Utah Legislature.
The temporary ordinance bans aerial fireworks through Dec. 29, so they will be permitted on New Year's Eve. After that, the City Council will re-evaluate the issue.
Contributing: Caitlin Burchill