West Valley City, UT Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

The ban is one of sixteen Prohibited Acts listed in Section 24-2-106, all adopted to serve the purposes set out in Section 24-2-102: protecting public health, safety and welfare; preventing property damage, the spread of disease, nuisances, and air and water pollution. Section 24-2-101(31) defines "Open burning" narrowly as "a fire whose products of combustion are emitted directly into the open air without passing through a stack or chimney," so it reaches trash fires, brush and leaf piles, and burn barrels alike, not just industrial incineration.

The prohibition applies citywide under the Scope provision of Section 24-2-105, which makes it unlawful for any person not to comply with any Department rule unless expressly waived by these rules and regulations. The phrase "except as provided by law" in Section 24-2-106(8) does not create a City burn-permit process; the chapter is silent on any local exception, so any lawful open fire has to come from state or other law outside this Title rather than from a City-issued permit. The Department, defined in Section 24-2-101(11) to include the Salt Lake City-County Health Department along with West Valley City's Police, Public Works and Ordinance Enforcement Division, administers and enforces this chapter, and its inspectors can enter with consent or under an administrative search warrant per Section 24-2-118. A person who believes they were wrongly cited has 10 calendar days to request a written hearing before the Department under Section 24-2-119.