The Park City Police Department last week received a series of complaints about loud noises sounding like gunfire or fireworks, either of which would have been disconcerting as emergency officials continue to worry about the prospects of a devastating fire.

The police reports were lodged starting on Monday, June 25 and continued through Saturday. In some of the cases, it seemed clear that the noises people heard were fireworks. But in other ones, people appeared to be convinced they heard gunfire, according to police logs.

Firing a gun inside the Park City limits is illegal all the time. The Park City Council last Thursday, meanwhile, outlawed the use of fireworks inside Park City this summer based on the dangerous fire conditions.

Emergency officials were especially concerned as the 4th of July approached even after the firework ban was enacted and stores stopped selling them in Park City and surrounding Summit County.

The cases that appeared to have involved fireworks included:

  • on Saturday, June 30 at 12:33 a.m., loud noises sounding like fireworks were reported somewhere along Comstock Drive

  • on Wednesday, June 27 at 2:18 a.m., youngsters were reportedly seen lighting fireworks on an undisclosed block of Lowell Avenue

  • on Monday, June 25, fireworks were reportedly heard at 8:31 p.m. at or close to the intersection of Comstock Drive and Sidewinder Drive

    The cases that might have involved gunfire included:

  • on Friday, June 29 at 2:36 p.m., people were reportedly seen target shooting on or close to Richardson Flat Road

  • on June 29 at 5:02 a.m. noises sounding like gunshots were heard on the 1800 block of Park Avenue. Thirteen minutes later similar noises were heard along Buffalo Bill Drive. In both of the cases, people in the vicinity did not hear the noises, the police said. Police Chief Wade Carpenter said it was not clear whether the noises were fireworks or gunfire.

  • on Monday, June 25 at 7:50 p.m., three people were reported to be shooting in the vicinity of Richardson Flat Road.

    The authorities say gunfire is especially dangerous in the dry conditions since a bullet could spark a fire. A recent flier published by City Hall and the Park City Fire District indicates 20 wildfires in Utah had been blamed on gunfire.