July Fourth fireworks bring warning from CSRA’s burn experts
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - With people celebrating the Fourth of July through the weekend, fireworks remain a cause for concern among doctors and firefighters across the CSRA.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year.
They include a fire June 19 in Waynesboro that displaced four families totaling 21 people. The fire was blamed on a sparkler being used indoors.
There are even more fireworks-related injuries.
Last year, about 9,700 emergency room visits were due to injuries caused by fireworks.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says teens 15 to 19 years old ed for the highest rate of those visits, followed by kids five to nine years old.
About 700 injuries were caused by sparklers.
Many of the people who are injured are treated at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta.
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Sparklers are among the fireworks on the danger list for the burn center’s Dr. Shawn Fagan.
Officials say to soak fireworks in water for an hour or two before throwing them away and always monitor children with hot sparklers.
Many people think they’re safe for kids, but Fagan said a simple sparkler has a temperature over 1,000 degrees.
“Children get excited and have someone just concentrate on the children. So they stay free and clear,” said Fagan.
You should also never point them at yourself or others, especially when lighting them.
And if a firework misfires, it could still go off unexpectedly.
“Anything from hand injuries from people holding on to fireworks or, you know, unfortunately, fireworks tipping over, which can result in injuries throughout the body,” said Fagan.
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Other things you can do to reduce the risk of harm are to wear closed-toe shoes when handling fireworks and eye protection.
If you do get hurt during the fun, Fagan says to extinguish the fire, run lukewarm water over it, apply a damp gauze and seek medical attention.
Among the safety tips from fire experts:
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to drench used fireworks.
- Parents should watch what their children are doing and where they are.
- Be mindful of weather conditions. Wind will blow sparks and fireworks over potentially dangerous areas, which may include patches of dry grass that may catch on fire.
- Never point fireworks at other people.
- Launch fireworks from a flat concrete surface.
- Do not reignite a firework if it does not fire the first time.
Since 2018, Georgia has allowed the sale of most types of fireworks, which include sparklers, rockets, roman candles, fountains, missile, and other aerial items.
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