Riverton council limits July 4 fireworks to a single designated site amid drought concerns

The Riverton City Council on June 30 adopted a restricted fireworks resolution for the July 4 holiday, narrowing permitted consumer fireworks to locations designated by the Fire Chief at the Honeycutt Softball and Sabin Baseball Complex adjacent to Smith Road between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.

City attorney Butterfield opened the item by noting the relevant municipal code that permits consumer‑grade fireworks under a defined time window, and said the council may remove or restrict that allowance by resolution given current wildfire risk.

Fire Chief Jesse Cassidy told the council the Riverton Fire Department and Riverton Fire Protection District strongly supported a restriction. Cassidy characterized fuel and moisture conditions as severe, noting that "98% of the state is in active drought with 53% of the state in severe drought" and describing recent out‑of‑season fires and a 2022 July 4 surge that produced 35 calls in three and a half hours. He warned that even well‑intentioned backyard or street fireworks can ignite dry "fine fuels" at the wildland‑urban interface and rapidly escalate.

Council members debated enforceability, whether to allow only low‑grade devices (sparklers/fountains) or to ban aerial fireworks, and whether to provide a single designated site to concentrate use inside irrigated, fenced ballfields. Councilwoman Karen Johnson moved an amendment to permit consumer‑grade fireworks only at the Little League complex during a limited evening window; Councilwoman Rebecca Brothers seconded. The council refined the language to confine activity to irrigated areas within the chain‑link fence and to allow the Fire Chief to designate the precise locations for enforcement.

Clerk roll call on the amendment recorded: Eric Carr — Nay; Rebecca Brothers — Aye; Mike Bailey — Aye; Carla Borders — Nay; Kyle Larson — Aye; Karen Johnson — Aye; Mayor Tim Hancock — Aye. The amendment passed.

An additional proposal to ban aerial fireworks only was discussed and later withdrawn as council members worried the distinctions would confuse the public and complicate enforcement. After further discussion about public safety and the need for clear messaging, the council voted to adopt Resolution 1559 as amended. According to the transcript the resolution passed with a single opposition; the clerk did not read a final roll call for the amended resolution on the record in the transcript.

Council directed staff to keep the designated fields wetted in advance and asked the chief of police to enforce dangerous or reckless uses outside the designated area. Chief Cassidy said the department will help identify safe on‑field locations and attempt to provide standby resources, but cautioned that mutual‑aid demands and limited manpower could constrain immediate response.

The resolution removes the city's general allowance for consumer fireworks on July 4 except at designated locations specified by the Fire Chief and for the hours the council approved. The council emphasized the restriction aims to reduce wildfire risk while still providing a controlled option for residents to celebrate.

"Any kind of ignition source right now is a potential ... for a major problem," Chief Cassidy said in urging the restriction.