LOGAN – In Cache Valley, the ban on personal fireworks has taken its toll on nonprofits and people who derive an income from the celebratory fireworks. These groups, small businesses and individuals invested tens of thousands of dollars more than usual into fireworks for this year due to America’s 250th celebrations.
Gov. Spencer Cox asked for a temporary statewide ban on personal fireworks until July 5 because of the drought and dry conditions throughout the state. But the economic fallout and revenue losses remain a major concern.
Governor Cox said the people dependent on the money from fireworks for different causes have to take it on the chin.
Becka Spradlin has worked at a ACME fireworks stand in Brigham City for two years while her friend Sue Baird has been there for several years longer. They work other jobs but are trying to get some extra cash to help with their personal budgets.
“Sales are pretty slow this year,” Spradlin said. “It’s tough when you invest in a fireworks stand and set it up and then the drought and the fireworks ban hit. No one is buying fireworks this year.”
Baird said she has been to firework shows in the past when the wind blew everyone quit shooting their fireworks. They knew when to stop.
“People don’t need to be told not to shoot their fireworks off when it’s dangerous,” she said. “They know when it’s not safe.”
She said 99 percent of the people have respect for the conditions. There is about one percent that aren’t very smart when it comes to lighting off fireworks.
With all the municipalities squashing personal fireworks, ACME Fireworks, a southeast Idaho company, estimates sales are at an all-time low.
Firework companies set up pop-up stands for a variety of reasons. Some nonprofits depend on money earned, they also fund school extracurricular activities, some are used for church budgets and some help people trying to get ahead.
The ban will force the groups to go in a different direction for their funds this year.
Jared Jensen, a Franklin County businessman and owner of ACME Fireworks, said it takes months and months of planning to set up firework stands. When municipalities decide to restrict fireworks after the stands have already been set up it complicates everything.
“Cache Valley is different than Southern Utah. Our valley is greener than it’s been in years,” he said. “We decided to have a field south of Preston in Fairview that was an open site where anyone could shoot off fireworks.”
The pop-up locations have been planned for months, Jensen said. Fireworks stands are a big investment in time and money.
“It all comes down to the money,” he said. “I have a lot of money, time and energy invested to mapping something like that out there to have them pull the plug on it. It was not very considerate.”
Logan Mayor Mark Anderson told Jason Williams on KVNU’s For the People program he encouraged people to go out and buy fireworks now and hold on to them until New Year’s when there is snow on the ground.
He said if a fire got started in the city there is no back up. All the back-up fire departments in the state are already fighting fire somewhere.
Currently, no one is talking about Pioneer Day fireworks. What will happen in a few weeks depends a lot on Mother Nature.