As all of Utah continues to face drought conditions, cities and towns will have the option of requesting bans on fireworks over the Pioneer Day holiday.

The new approach, announced Monday by Gov. Spencer Cox, is a departure from the policy during the July Fourth holiday, when the governor and state forester issued a statewide ban on fireworks but allowed local cities and towns to ask permission to allow some fireworks in their jurisdictions.

Now, the mayors and city councils will need to work with the state forester to implement additional restrictions if seeking a ban.

The change was made possible, the governor said, because conditions have improved in recent weeks, thanks to some rainfall.

Over the July Fourth holiday, a number of municipalities designated areas where personal fireworks could be lit in certain areas or limited the types of fireworks that were allowed.

State Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, who owns a fireworks business, said he believed Cox was overstepping his legal authority with a blanket ban.

Under Cox’s revised guidance, cities will need to move quickly to ask the state forester to approve firework prohibitions in their city limits, which will allow the local officials to tailor the approach they see fit.

“We were hopeful conditions would improve enough to safely return more decisions to our local communities, and in many parts of Utah, that’s exactly what’s happened,” Cox said in a news release announcing the new order.

“Recent storms have brought meaningful relief to many areas of the state. At the same time, other communities remain at serious risk,” the governor said. “This approach recognizes that wildfire conditions now vary across Utah while ensuring we still have the tools to protect lives and property where the danger remains highest.”

The state forester briefed city leaders and fire chiefs about implementation of the new plan Monday afternoon.

Currently, cities have the authority to restrict fireworks in areas where conditions are deemed to be hazardous. Each city submitted a map of those areas to the forester in May. To extend those areas, under the new rubric, they would submit a new map for the forester’s approval, said Cameron Diehl, executive director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, which organized the call.

“There was an appreciation for the options for cities and, given the recognition of the condensed timeframe, there were a lot of questions about the practical implementation,” he said. “Ultimately, the various options available to cities are the same, the process is just slightly different than it was a couple weeks ago.”

Jamie Barnes, the state forester, said the new process provides flexibility for communities “while ensuring we can quickly implement additional restrictions where local fire conditions warrant them.”

“We encourage everyone to check with their city before using fireworks,” she added.

Despite having a ban in place, an aerial firework was blamed for igniting a blaze in Provo’s Slate Canyon over the July Fourth holiday. Children lighting bottle rockets in Kaysville also started a brush fire that forced the evacuation of several homes in the area.