Risk of ‘catastrophic wildfires’ leads to restrictions for Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Uintah counties

UTAH, June 12, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Bureau of Land Management has announced that Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will go into effect Friday, June 18, on all BLM administered lands in Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, and Uintah counties due the ongoing potential for catastrophic wildfires.

“Eastern Utah currently has three large wildfires that are being fought by interagency incident management teams,” a BLM statement says. “Persistent drought conditions and forecasts that call for prolonged hot, dry weather coupled with high winds makes it highly likely that any new fires will grow rapidly.”

Restrictions, detailed more fully below, include prohibitions in areas including smoking, campfires, open use of fuels, metal work, and use of explosives including exploding targets, pressurized containers, and fireworks.

Penalties for prohibited behaviors can include a $1,000 fee and the cost of fighting any resulting fire.

Under the order signed Friday, June 11, the following acts are prohibited:

• No campfires using charcoal, solid fuels, or any ash-producing fuel, EXCEPT in permanently constructed cement or metal fire pits located in agency developed campgrounds and picnic areas. Examples of solid fuels include, but are not limited to wood, charcoal, peat, coal, Hexamine fuel tablets, wood pellets, corn, wheat, rye, and other grains. Devices fueled by petroleum or liquid petroleum gas with a shut-off valve are approved in all locations if there is at least three feet in diameter that is barren with no flammable vegetation.
• Smoking except within an enclosed vehicle, covered areas, developed recreation site or while stopped in a cleared area of at least three feet in diameter that is barren with no flammable vegetation
• Grinding, cutting, and welding of metal
• Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order as determined by the Society of Automotive Engineers recommended practices J335 and J350. Refer to Title 43 CFR 8343.1
• The non-commercial use/discharge of explosives of any kind, incendiary or chemical devices, pyrotechnic devices, exploding targets, pressurized containers or canisters, and binary explosives
• The use/discharge of any kind of fireworks as defined by the order

People violating the order can be subject to fines up to and including $1,000 along with costs associated with fire suppression and post-fire rehabilitation.

This order rescinds all previous orders covering BLM-administered lands in Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, and Uintah counties. The order will remain in effect until it is rescinded.