Sandy, UT Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Sandy, UT, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Where it applies
- Sandy Area Watershed only
- Fires allowed only in
- Developed campgrounds/Forest Service rings
- Enforcing official
- Public Utilities Director
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor
- Governing section
- City Code § 8-6-2
Summary
In the Sandy Area Watershed, covering Little Cottonwood Canyon and the foothills above the city, Section 8-6-2 lets the Public Utilities Director designate zones where campfires or bonfires are unlawful and confines fires to developed campgrounds or Forest Service fire rings. Violating the watershed's fire rules is a Class B misdemeanor.
Campfires must be located only in developed campgrounds or established fire rings on U.S. Forest Service property. In the Sandy Area Watershed, the Director may: Establish areas in which making or having campfires or bonfires is unlawful; Prohibit smoking, except in designated areas; and Designate day-use only areas. ... Penalties. Any person guilty of conduct proscribed in this section will be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Sandy City Code Section 8-6-2, 'Watershed Protection Regulations,' governs open fires within the Sandy Area Watershed, the mountain and canyon drainage above the city (including Little Cottonwood Canyon) over which Sandy asserts jurisdiction under Utah Code Section 10-8-15 (Section 8-6-1). S. ' Beyond that baseline, the ordinance gives the Public Utilities Director discretionary authority within the watershed to establish areas where campfires or bonfires are unlawful, to prohibit smoking except in designated areas, and to designate day-use-only zones, allowing the City to tighten restrictions during dry, high-fire-danger periods.
The Director can also impose canyon-specific rules to fit conditions in individual canyons and can restrict or prohibit fireworks possession and use within the watershed. ' Anyone convicted of violating the watershed fire restrictions faces a Class B misdemeanor under Sandy City Code, the same penalty that applies to other watershed pollution and sanitation violations in Chapter 8-6.
Violations & Fines
Making or maintaining a campfire or bonfire in a watershed area the Director has posted as off-limits, or burning outside a developed campground or Forest Service fire ring, is a Class B misdemeanor under Chapter 8-6, carrying up to six months in jail and a fine under Utah's misdemeanor penalty scale. Watershed rangers and the Sandy Police Department both have authority to cite violators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a campfire in Little Cottonwood Canyon?
Is there a citywide open burning ban in Sandy?
What's the penalty for an illegal campfire in the watershed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sandy
How Sandy compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Sandy to another location·View the Utah fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle outdoor burning.