West Jordan sets aside two areas for aerial fireworks

WEST JORDAN – Residents who purchased aerial fireworks before city officials banned them will have a chance to set them off on Pioneer Day.

City leaders and fire officials toured the city for potential sites where people would be allowed to ignite fireworks that go higher than 15 feet, and they’ve determined two parks to be safe enough to do this.  Deputy Fire Chief Reed Scharman says infields two and three at the Veterans Memorial Baseball Complex have been approved, as well as infields four and five at the Ron Wood Baseball Complex.  He says these infields are far enough away from any potential problem areas.

“The surrounding area is either green lawn, as part of the baseball diamonds,” Scharman says. “And it’s far enough away from anything that is [dry] grass, so, we would not have a problem.”

Scharman also says they would have concerns about people storing the fireworks they purchased before the ban, so, they wanted people to have a chance to set them off.

Several city residents say they like the idea of setting aside safer places for these fireworks.  One woman says her pine tree burned down last year because of aerial fireworks, and another had a large mess of empties she needed to clean up.  One woman had mixed feelings about the ban, but, believes it may be a good thing, overall.  She says, “I thought about the kids, and I thought, ‘Oh well.  They’re not going to like it.’  But, then I see all the fires it caused.  So, doing it in a residential area, I don’t think they should.”