MADERA, Calif. – July Fourth brings red, white and blue decorations, hot dogs, hamburgers and everyone’s favorite bright and festive fireworks. But these festivities also bring safety concerns when it comes to injuries connected to barbecues and fireworks. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to stay safe:
Fireworks
- The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to leave them to the professionals. Bring your family to a public firework display and enjoy the celebration! Have a picnic and let others do the pyrotechnic work for you.
- If doing your own fireworks, remember to never light them indoors or near dry grass. Keep away from brush, leaves and flammable substances. Also, make sure to stand several feet away from lit fireworks, and if a device does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it.
- Did you know sparklers can heat up to 1,200 degrees? That’s hot enough to melt glass! Sparks from sparklers can burn eyes and little arms and legs, so use caution or consider other ways to let children celebrate.
- Other options to allow children to participate in celebrating the Fourth of July include getting items such as party horns, glow sticks, water squirt toys or even silly string!
BBQ
- When barbequing, position the grill away from siding, deck railings, out from under leaves and overhanging branches and at a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic.
- When cooking food, use long handled grilling tools to give plenty of distance from heat and flames and never leave your grill unattended.
- Keep children and pets away from the grill area by declaring a 3-foot, kid-free zone. You can draw a circle area with sidewalk chalk around the grill so children know not to cross it.
- Be prepared for an accident or injury. Always have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby (and learn how to use a fire extinguisher).
At the end of the day, we all want to celebrate. By keeping our family and kids safe, everyone can have more fun!
