Summit County raises fire danger to moderate amid dry conditions
Summit County raised fire danger to moderate, putting campfires, fireworks and spark-heavy work under tighter rules across state and unincorporated land.
Campfires, fireworks and spark-producing work all came under tighter limits Friday as Summit County raised fire danger to moderate and kept Stage 1 restrictions in place across state land and unincorporated areas. The change affects campers, contractors and property owners immediately, especially in dry places where a single spark can spread fast.
The county put the restrictions in place effective June 6 in consultation with the Summit County Council, saying wildfire risk in Northeast Utah had climbed enough to require action. Open fires are now limited to approved improved campgrounds, picnic areas and permanently constructed fire pits at private homes where running water is present. The order also bans smoking in many outdoor settings, fireworks, tracer ammunition and exploding targets, along with cutting, welding or grinding in dry vegetation. Some small engines must have an approved spark arrestor.
Violations can bring up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The county’s moderate fire danger rating is expected to show up on Smokey Bear signs, a visible reminder that conditions have tightened even after recent May moisture briefly helped Summit County green up before the landscape dried again.
The move comes as Utah remains in drought after a winter with record low snowpack and a relatively dry spring. That combination has kept fuels vulnerable across the state and helped push Summit County away from the lower fire-danger conditions it saw earlier in the month. The last time the county raised fire danger from low to moderate, on June 20, 2025, officials were bracing for a hot, windy weekend and pointed to record dry vegetation and extreme fire danger elsewhere in Utah.
What to watch next is the weather pattern that forced the change in the first place: stronger winds, hotter afternoons and continued drying. If those conditions persist, the county could face pressure to move beyond Stage 1 and tighten restrictions further, leaving less room for campfires, outdoor work and other spark-risk activities.
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