SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Land Management implemented sweeping fire restrictions across 12 Utah counties on Thursday, citing rapidly escalating wildfire dangers as the region heads into the hot, dry summer months.
Effective immediately, the fire prevention order applies to all BLM-managed public lands within the agency’s West Desert District. The affected jurisdictions include Cache, Box Elder, Juab, Millard, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch and Weber counties. The restrictions will remain in place until officially rescinded.
Under the new order, several fire-prone activities and items are strictly prohibited. The mandate outlaws the use of any steel-component ammunition and steel-component targets. Visitors are also barred from launching sky lanterns, Chinese lanterns, fire balloons, acetylene balloons or any similar airborne devices.
Additionally, the use of off-highway vehicles is prohibited unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed and maintained spark arrestor. The BLM noted that these spark arrestors must meet the 80% efficiency level standard determined by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Because ammunition packaging does not always clearly indicate the presence of steel, the BLM strongly advises target shooters to test their bullets with a simple magnet before visiting public lands. Officials also warned that orange- or red-painted tips often indicate tracer ammunition, which can easily ignite dry grass and brush upon impact. Tracer ammunition, along with incendiary rounds, explosives and fireworks, is already explicitly prohibited year-round on all BLM lands.
In addition to the strict prohibitions, the BLM issued a comprehensive list of best practices to help outdoor recreationists prevent accidental blazes. Officials urge campers to fully extinguish all campfires and to avoid building them entirely when wind speeds reach 15 mph or higher. Target shooters should avoid operating in hot, dry and windy conditions and must select backstops completely free of rocks, as a bullet striking a solid surface can easily shower sparks into nearby dry vegetation.
The agency also recommends avoiding any cutting, welding or grinding of metal in wildland areas. Motorists are reminded to keep trailer chains safely lifted off the road to prevent dragging sparks, properly maintain wheel bearings to avoid mechanical failures, and avoid parking hot vehicles over combustible brush.
The BLM encourages all visitors to carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher throughout the dry season. Anyone who spots a wildfire should call 911 immediately.