Fire officials always encourage and promote fire safety measures in the fall and winter when people are finding ways to stay warm; but July is another time they stress safety matters, particularly in regard to fireworks.
“We want to encourage everyone to be safe this weekend when they are celebrating the 4th (of July) and please, please, please pay attention if you’re doing fireworks,” Eatonton Fire Chief Eugene Hubert said.
Hubert cautioned that young children should not be lighting or handling fireworks, and older children with fireworks should be supervised closely by an adult. The veteran fire chief spoke from experience and recalled an unfortunate incident a few years ago when a child got a hold of some unused fireworks the morning after a celebration and lit one in the house, causing a fire and injury to the child.
“I just don’t want to see anybody, especially a child, get hurt or injured from fireworks,” he said. “I want everybody to have a happy Independence Day holiday.”
Hubert offers these safety tips to keep in mind when celebrating with fireworks:
- Keep all fireworks as well as matches and lighters away from children.
- Read and follow all labels and instructions on the firework package.
- Use fireworks only outdoors and away from buildings, and on as flat a surface as possible that’s clear of debris.
- Have a water source handy – a water hose already attached to a spicket, or a bucket of water.
- Light only one firework at a time.
- Never light fireworks in your hand.
- Never place any part of your body directly over a lit firework.
- Never try to re-ignite a firework that failed.
- Sparklers are dangerous, burning at more than 1,500 degrees. Although popular for children to play with, they can be dropped and burn the child’s clothing or legs or feet, or a young child may try to grab the sparkly end and be burned. Adults should not only supervise, but should help young children hold onto the sparkler, or better yet, use a safer alternative such as glow sticks.
- Allow discharged fireworks to set for at least 20 minutes before picking them up. Submerge fully in water and soak a few minutes, then dispose of them in a plastic bag.