North Summit Fire Marshal asks county to request temporary fireworks ban amid wildfire risk; council approves letter

Tyler Levitt, recently promoted fire marshal for the North Summit Fire District, told the Summit County Council on June 25 that the district seeks the council’s support for a temporary fireworks ban in unincorporated areas of the county through Oct. 31, 2025. Levitt said the request would mirror a similar temporary ban enacted by Park City and would be sent to the Utah State Forester for enforcement in unincorporated areas of the North Summit Fire Service District.

Levitt cited recent wildfire activity and staffing limits as reasons to act quickly. He described recent deployments to the Forsyth fire and said high winds and rapid fire growth highlighted local resource constraints. Levitt said the district and its ACB had already endorsed the request and that Park City and other adjacent jurisdictions were considering similar measures. He asked the council to authorize sending a formal letter requesting restrictions on fireworks sales and use in unincorporated portions of the service area.

County staff and council members discussed enforcement and penalties. Under-sheriff Dave (identified in the meeting as the county’s law-enforcement representative) said that lighting off fireworks can be treated as a class B misdemeanor and, if the act causes fire damage, can be elevated to a class A offense; he also noted there are mechanisms to recoup firefighting costs from responsible parties. Council members asked whether penalties or enforcement would apply on July 4 and what the county’s role would be; Levitt said incorporated cities (Park City and Heber) would follow their own policies and that the proposed action covered only unincorporated areas within the district.

The council considered whether to expand the letter to cover the whole county. Legal and staff briefing noted that independent fire districts may send their own letters and that the county’s letter would apply within the North Summit Fire Service District area. Council Member Megan asked whether the letter could be modified to include the whole county; staff advised that independent districts (such as South Summit) would submit their own letters. Ultimately the council approved a motion authorizing the county to transmit the North Summit Fire District’s recommended letter to the Utah State Forester formally requesting fireworks restrictions within the North Summit Fire Service District area through Oct. 31, 2025. The motion was moved by Chris, seconded by Megan, and the council voted to approve the action by voice vote.

Earlier in the meeting the North Summit Fire District, sitting as a governing board, also asked the county to approve numerous internal policy amendments (policy sections 402, 403 and a set of 600-series training policies). The ACB had reviewed those policies; the district reported some edits were typographical and others removed law-enforcement authority for the fire marshal position. The governing board approved the policy updates and presented them to the county for formal adoption; the council approved the governing board’s recommendation during the meeting.

Why it matters: the temporary restriction aims to reduce human-start wildfires during a period of elevated fire risk and limited local firefighting resources. The county’s letter asks the Utah State Forester to use state authority to restrict fireworks in unincorporated parts of the North Summit service area.

Next steps: county staff will transmit the approved letter to the Utah State Forester; the district will coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions about timing and outreach. Council members asked staff to follow up on enforcement details and specific penalties for violations.