House amends and passes bill limiting target shooting during extreme fire danger

The Utah House on March 6 amended and passed Senate Bill 120 to give state and local authorities the ability to restrict certain activities — including target shooting — during hazardous and "extremely hazardous" fire conditions.

Representative Oda, the House sponsor, said the bill responds to media attention about wildfires allegedly started by firearms discharge and seeks to provide accountability and formal procedures when closures are imposed. Floor amendments added language requiring written documentation signed by the state forester and affected county sheriffs at the time a restriction is imposed and at termination, plus a mandated formal review every 14 days. One amendment defined "extremely hazardous" as the "extreme" category under a nationally recognized fire‑danger rating.

The bill's closure provisions permit restrictions on open fires, smoking, some vehicle and equipment uses, fireworks, explosives and target shooting. Sponsors emphasized that the statute cannot prohibit lawful firearm possession or lawful hunting during such periods, and that the sheriff's concurrence is required for any restriction on firearms use.

Representative Briscoe cited Utah Division of Forestry wildfire statistics, noting firearms accounted for about 3 percent of reported fires (33 of 1,514) and urged support on preventive grounds; sponsors and associations listed in support included SITLA, the Utah Farm Bureau, the Sheriffs' Association and fire service organizations.

The House passed the amended bill 67‑0; the measure will be returned to the Senate for further consideration.

Next steps: the bill returns to the Senate for concurrence; if enacted, the state forester and county sheriffs would implement the new review and documentation procedures for closures and restrictions.