Bountiful adopts 2025 fireworks boundary after public debate, chief cites wildfire risk

The Bountiful City Council voted unanimously May 27 to adopt Ordinance 2025-O7, establishing a fireworks restriction line for 2025 that keeps fireworks prohibited above Orchard Drive through Jan. 1, 2026.

The ordinance follows public comment from neighborhood residents who urged the council to move the line higher on the hillside to Davis Boulevard. In public comment, Matt Franzen, a Bountiful resident, asked the council to "make a decision on fireworks for Bountiful based on our local conditions and the desires from local citizens" and said he and his neighbors had asked for the change for years. Another resident, Alex Stenzley, told the council he wanted the boundary restored to Davis Boulevard because "we've never burned the city to the ground" and he believed past practice supported that line.

Why it matters: Fire officials said the higher elevations and gullies above Orchard Drive present greater wildfire risk. Fire Chief Stewart recommended the Orchard Drive boundary, citing terrain, fuel and training that indicate elevated danger in the upper neighborhoods. Chief Stewart told the council the department has trained this year with the county and regional wildland teams and, for the first time, has access to a 4,000-gallon water tender from a refinery as a mutual-aid resource. He said the department is preparing for what state officials have signaled could be an "unprecedented fire year." Chief Stewart also referenced pending state legislation (House Bill 48) that will require county site assessments and could change how high-risk properties are managed.

Council discussion emphasized both safety and communicating clear, enforceable boundaries. Several council members raised the practical advantages of straight-line boundaries along named streets: "The more jogs you have in the line, the harder it is for people to know where those are and the harder it is to enforce," the chief said, urging simple street-based lines rather than irregular shapes through backyards.

During debate, council members asked whether the city could provide a controlled location where citizens who live above the boundary could legally discharge fireworks. Chief Stewart said the city has offered a City Hall parking lot in drought years and that the city could advertise a controlled, managed location; he noted such arrangements carry challenges including debris and hot fireworks being discarded in city trash cans. Several council members supported the idea of an alternative, controlled site as a mitigation measure.

The ordinance as approved runs through Jan. 1 (the council noted it has applied that way in recent years). Council members discussed whether other holidays (for example, Chinese New Year) should be treated the same and agreed to let staff and the chief review possible holiday exceptions or amendments and return with recommendations. The chief recommended that any change to move the boundary (for example, to Davis Boulevard) should be handled by a future ordinance after staff review in the fall.

Formal action: The council approved Ordinance 2025-O7 as presented, adopting the fireworks restriction for 2025. The motion passed unanimously.

What happens next: The council instructed staff to publicize the boundary and the option to provide a controlled site if the city chooses to do so, and council members said they want the fire chief to re-evaluate conditions and return in the fall if changes are advisable.

Quotes used in this article are verbatim from the meeting transcript and are attributed to speakers who spoke on the record during the May 27 meeting.