Utah Wildfires, Air Quality Warnings, And What’s Still On For July 4

Smoke is hanging over the Salt Lake Valley, the mountains are barely visible, and it’s not just “summer haze.” We break down what’s behind Utah’s rough early wildfire season, which major fires are driving the worst of the air right now, and what Stage 1 fire restrictions actually mean for real life. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s safe to run outside, take your kids to the park, or hit the trails, we talk through how to use the Utah DEQ AQI, who needs to be extra cautious, and why this moment deserves more than a shrug.

Then we pivot to something the city can genuinely celebrate: the Utah Jazz making the No. 2 pick count by selecting Darryn Peterson. We dig into what kind of guard he is, why the scoring upside has people dreaming, and how quickly “I don’t want to be there” draft chatter can flip once a player sees the opportunity and the young core taking shape. Draft night in Salt Lake felt electric for a reason, and it’s worth sitting with that even while the state deals with fire and smoke.

We also give you a clear, practical Fourth of July weekend guide with options across Salt Lake and beyond, including drone shows, downtown events, baseball, and the big caveat everyone needs to hear: don’t be the person lighting backyard mortars during a tinder-dry summer. We wrap with quick hitters on the Twilight Concert Series lineup, Bonneville Shoreline Trail closures near the University of Utah, Utah Mammoth NHL free agency movement, and why this year’s FanX is the last chance to catch it at the Salt Palace before renovations. If you missed last week’s conversation with ski icon Tom Wallisch, we point you there, and we tease next week’s guest: Eli McCann.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:30

What is up, everybody, and welcome back for another weekly update. It is me, Eric Nielsen, your host of the Small Lake City podcast. And it is currently June in Salt Lake City, which means hot, dry, but also gorgeous. And it is all of those things. But right now it also means smoky. Utah is on fire, literally. And we're going to talk about it. We've also got the jazz draft pick because that happened, it's official, and we need to celebrate. We've got a full breakdown of what to do for the 4th of July coming up in about a week and a half, and some quick other items going on around that you should know about. So let's get into it. Before you do, if you missed last week's episode, go back and listen to my conversation with Tom Wallish. He's one of the most iconic free skiers of our generation, grew up in Pittsburgh, moved to Utah in 2006, and made the Wasatch his home, and went from viral new schooler edits and Talltees to announcing the Olympics on live TV and now making a full feature film with North Face. The arc on that guy is genuinely something. Great episode, great guy. Go listen. All right, let's start with what everyone in the valley can see and smell right now. Utah is having one of the worst early fire seasons in recent memory. As of this week, there are over 340 active wildfires burning across the state, consuming more than 64,000 of acres combined. And if you've stepped outside in Salt Lake this week and wondered why the mountains are barely visible, that's why. The

Weekly Update And What’s Ahead

SPEAKER_00 3:01

biggest contributors to the Salt Lake Valley smoke right now are a handful of major fires scattered across the state. The iron fire in Juab County, burning south of Eureka, has torched over 24,000 acres and is only 3% contained. The Hastings fire out in Twila County, east of the Ragonite off I-80, has hit 20,000 acres and is 25% contained. And the Cottonwood fire down near Beaver in Fish Lake National Forest has burned over 31,000 acres with crews scrambling to get ahead of it. There was also a fire that burned right up to the edge of the University of Utah campus in the city's foothills, the Bonneville fire, which has now reached

Last Week’s Guest Recommendation

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84% containment. And it's not just Utah fires, smoke is also drifting from large blazes in Nevada and Arizona. On Tuesday, several Utah cities made the top 10 list of worst air quality in the country. The underlying cause is not a surprise. Utah just came off one of its driest winters on record, with historically low snowpack. Vegetation is parched, temperatures hit extreme levels earlier than usual this year. Fire officials said

Utah Wildfires And Smoky Air

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months ago this summer would be bad. Stage one fire restrictions are now in effect across multiple jurisdictions. No open fires outside approved campgrounds, no fireworks, no exploding targets, which, yes, does include the 4th of July. We'll talk about what you can do and can't do in a minute. For air quality, check the Utah DEQ site or any weather app before heading outside. If you're sensitive to smoke, kids, elderly folks, anyone with asthma or heart conditions, please take it seriously. This isn't just haze, it's genuinely unhealthy air in the orange to red range across the Wasatch front right now. Okay, so let's talk about something good. Last Tuesday night at Barclay Center in Brooklyn, the Utah Jazz made it official. With the second overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, they selected Darren Peterson out of Kansas. As expected, the Washington Wizards took AJ DeBanza from BYU first, the hometown kid, the guy everybody wanted. And then the Jazz were on the clock for about five minutes because they didn't really need five minutes. Darren Peterson is a 19-year-old guard from Canton, Ohio, 6'5, elite scorer, one of those guys who can get a bucket from anywhere. Averaged about 40 points per 100 possessions during an injury-shortened freshman season at Kansas. He drew pre-draft comparisons to Kobe Bryant, one of the most gifted scoring craftsmen in NBA history. And yes, he was one of those guys who publicly signaled he didn't want to come to Utah, canceling his workout with the team before the draft. But here's what's funny: this is literally what happened with Ace Bailey last year. Same move. Jazz drafted him anyway at number five. Bailey just finished a terrific rookie year and by all accounts loves being here. Peterson was already saying after the pick that he's super excited to join the Jazz and thinks he and Keontae George can be one of the best backcourts in the NBA. The context matters here. The Jazz also have Jaron Jackson Jr., one of the best shot blockers in the game, and Lari Markinen in the front court. Add Peterson to a stacked lineup with George, who averaged 23.6 points last season, and a young core

Jazz Draft Darren Peterson Breakdown

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that includes Bailey, and this team is starting to look like something real. This is the highest draft pick in Utah history with their own selection. This is what the rebuild was for. Draft night in Salt Lake City was electric, and it should have been. Don't let the fires distract you from the fact that this city just got a potential franchise cornerstone. So welcome to Utah, Darren. Alright, real quick, let's talk about the fourth. It's one week from Friday and there is a lot going on. So here is your guide for the 4th of July weekend. July 3rd, Mill Creek Common on 1354 East Chambers is doing an Independence Eve celebration with the Flying Ace All-Stars Aerial performers, local luchadors, aerialists dropping from a climbing wall, and a custom drone show to cap it off. Tickets are five bucks, so that's a steal of a deal. July 4th in Salt Lake, we have the Gateway Downtown is hosting a full evening celebration from 7 to 10:30. Live music on two stages, DJs, karaoke, yard games, food trucks, and fireworks at dark. Free to attend, that's your downtown go-to. The Salt Lake Bees are playing at home on the 4th at America First Square in South Jordan. First pitch at 7.05 with a fireworks show after the game. Baseball and fireworks on the 4th of July is about as American as it gets, and the Bees have been playing great ball this summer. Mill Creek, Sandy, and North Salt Lake Liberty Fest all have solid celebrations with fireworks at 10 p.m. If you want to stay closer to home. Park City's Forum Fest at Canyons Village has live music starting at 4 and a drone show at 10.15. And if you want to go big, Provost Stadium of Fire is one of the largest 4th of July firework shows in the country, headlined this year by Rascal Flats. One major caveat with stage one fire restrictions in some places statewide, personal fireworks are banned across most of Utah right now. The professional shows are still happening. Those are permitted. But

Fourth Of July Events And Firework Rules

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do not be the person lighting mortars in your backyard this year. The whole state is a tinderbox. Check local restrictions before you do anything with fire. Alright, and now a few other things to wrap out this week's update. First, Twilight Concert Series kicks off in less than three weeks, July 13th, with Old Crow Medicine Show at the Galovan Center. Tickets are around 26 bucks at 24Ticks.com. It's the 29th year of Twilight, and this lineup this summer, Freddie Gibbs, Suki Waterhouse, Muna, Goose, The War on Drugs is as good as it's been in years. Get your tickets now if you haven't. Also, quick note on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near the University of Utah. Sections of it are closed due to the Bonneville Fire and ongoing fire operations. So check Trailforks.com or Salt Lake City website before you head out on any of the East Bench trails this week. Also, the Utah Mammoth officially opened NHL Free Agency this past weekend. They were active, signing a couple of depth pieces to shore up the roster heading into year three. No blockbuster moves yet, but the front office has been vocal about wanting to take a step forward after last year's first round exit. Keep an eye on the keep an eye on this over the next few weeks as roster continues to move and shake out. Also, remember that Fan X Salt Lake Comet Convention is coming up in September. This year is the last one at the Salt Palace before it closes for a three-year renovation. If you're a fan of the event, this year's one worth showing up to. Alright, before we wrap up, want to announce this week's guest. Next week's guest is Eli McCann. And if you're from Salt Lake City, you probably already know who he is. Lawyer, writer, humor columnist for the Salt Lake

Concerts, Trails, Hockey, FanX Updates

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Trib, creator and host of the Strangeville storytelling podcast and live show, and one of the funniest people in this city. He's also got two books out this year. We're Thankful for Moisture, which came out in February, and a novel called Stitched, dropping in September. Trust me on this one, it's a great conversation. So that's this week, Salt Lake. Stay safe out there in the smoke, go see some fireworks responsibly. Welcome Darren Peterson to the jazz family, and make sure to follow on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and wherever you can, and tap that link in the show notes to join the Discord.