Fourth of July is my favorite holiday! I love the warm weather, firework displays, and spending time with family and friends.
While fireworks are fun to see, they can be dangerous to handle. If you plan to use fireworks this Fourth of July, please follow these safety tips.
1. Fireworks should be handled only by competent adults. If you’re nervous about using fireworks or you’ve had too much to drink, please leave them alone. Children should never be allowed to light them. Injuries often occur when the person handling the fireworks is inexperienced and/or judgment impaired. Most injuries are to hands and faces.
2. After fireworks burn out, toss them in a bucket of water or spray them off with a hose. Pay special attention to sparklers; while they seem like one of the safest fireworks, they burn at a temperature close to 2,000 degrees. If your child drops a sparkler, tell him/her to leave it on the ground because it’s hard to tell which end is safe to pick up. Spray the sparkler immediately to put it out.
3. If you’re lighting fireworks that launch into the sky, plan for their landing in a safe area. I’ll never forget when my brother’s fireworks shot into my aunt’s garage, almost taking out Grandma. Be mindful of the wind direction.
Smoldering fireworks that land on a roof can start a fire. And be respectful of your neighbor’s property. I don’t like finding fireworks fragments on my roof or lawn the next day.
Do you know how many men signed the Declaration of Independence? Get the answer here, along with many other interesting facts about our founding fathers. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
