As temperatures continue climbing and maintaining over 100 degrees, the Provo Municipal Council took a step Tuesday to prevent wildfires in the area.

The council approved a resolution banning fires “in the Provo City watershed except in approved fire pits located in improved campgrounds and picnic areas, and within permanent fire pits in residential properties,” the notice reads.

It was approved unanimously by the council with no public comment. The restrictions go into effect at noon Thursday.

The restricted area includes all mountains and canyons from the city boundary with Springville to the Provo City line. It goes along Provo’s East Bench and Provo Canyon up to South Fork.

The restrictions are considered “Level 1,” according to a presentation by Lynn Schofield, fire marshal. The open fire restriction includes a ban on charcoal. The exceptions are for fuel-fired stoves with a shut off and personal fireplaces, though Schofield asked residents to be cautious.

“It includes everything that doesn’t turn off with a switch,” he said.

The restrictions are also being introduced later in the summer than usual because of the abnormally wet winter, leading to more plant growth in the foothills, Provo City Attorney Brian Jones said during the council’s meeting.

According to Schofield, it is expected to get hotter and drier this week. Hotter weather conditions, combined with wind, increase the risk of wildfires. The Utah Fire Info map shows nine fires in the past 24 hours, one active as of Wednesday afternoon, with the closest to Utah County being the 0.1-acre Grassy Ridge fire in Sanpete County.

“Due to the drying vegetation following a wetter than normal winter, and the need to protect our wildland urban interface, and available water supply, it is incumbent on each of us to decrease the risk of catastrophic fire,” the notice reads.

During the council’s work session, Schofield said the department dealt with three brush fires on Monday with one started by the sparks off of a lawn mower and have faced seven in the previous five days.

A majority of Utah Valley is considered by the state to be at an extreme fire risk, meaning “all fires are potentially serious because fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely.”

The restrictions are also being put in place just ahead of the Pioneer Day holiday weekend, expected to be a busy weekend for fireworks and other celebrations.

Fireworks are legal between Saturday and Tuesday with Pioneer Day celebrations to be held in Provo, Orem, Spanish Fork and Mapleton.

The resolution means fires need to be contained in an improved fire ring or pit in campgrounds and picnic areas. Violations would be Class B misdemeanors, which in Utah can mean up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.