The State Fire Marshal’s Office lists the ordinances and rules surrounding fireworks in nearly every town in the state.
Advertisement
“All it takes is one split second”, said Kevin Foster, the director of burn services at Arizona’s Burn Center. Most injuries occur to the extremities, like arms and legs, or on victims’ heads.
Using fireworks inappropriately doesn’t just cause immediate harm, it can also affect others. By comparison, bottle rockets accounted for 11 percent of injuries, and firecrackers were blamed for 16 percent of injuries.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, on a typical 4th of July, fireworks cause more fires in the US than all other causes combined.
Mission Fire Chief Rene Lopez Jr. says, “Remember to follow the directions on the package of the fireworks”. “You could lose your vision”. There is a $424 fine for use or possession of fireworks in the city of Ventura; possession of larger amounts of fireworks may result in a felony charge. Any fireworks that fly or explode usually are illegal.
Have water ready, never relight a dud, use near green areas, supervise children and never have any portion of your body directly over a firework when lighting it.
Be mindful of how fireworks are set off. For instance, never shoot them off in a metal or glass container, Drzewiecki said. You want to make sure what you’re using says “Emits Showers of Sparks” on the packaging. Sparklers, which can burn at a temperature of 2,000 degrees, are listed as the type of firework causing the most injuries.
Permits sold to consumers at fireworks stores are only permitting them to leave the premises with the fireworks, not to actually use them, Santelli said.
Who got hurt? Teens ages 15 to 19 had the highest rate of fireworks injuries treated in ERs.
Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.
Many communities in the Kansas City metropolitan area ban most or all fireworks outside of approved public displays.
If you wish to see display fireworks, there are a number places that have permits to light them, which can be found on the City of Folsom’s website.
Advertisement
– Keep a water source handy (like a filled bucket) in case something goes wrong.
