Here’s Some Fireworks Safety Tips For Fourth Of July

America's Independence Day Celebration is a great day to spend with family eating outdoors, cooking on the grill, and shooting off fireworks.

A lot of families have a fireworks celebration and don't want other members to get hurt. Some people goof off, but ultimately you have to watch them so they don't start someone on fire or blow up a finger.

Even though they can be a lot of fun, they light up the sky and create a fun night for the family, but fireworks are very dangerous and send thousands of people to hospitals with injuries every summer. So if you want to have both a fun and safe Fourth of July, please follow these fireworks safety tips from the Department of Public Safety

Children and teens should never be allowed to set off fireworks unsupervised. Explosive devices can injure hands, faces, and eyes. Even sparklers can hurt small children who don’t have the coordination to hold them properly. Some little kids want to touch them to see what they feel like, and either ends up with a big-time burn or injure their hand.

Make sure you have water around, not just a glass or blanket, water to drown the fire.
When lighting fireworks of any kind, you should always have water nearby, either in a bucket or through a hose. Fireworks of all kinds can misfire, have a manufacturing defect, or land where you don’t expect them to.

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Before you set them off make sure it’s legal in your area, and where you can use them in your area. Second, know your fireworks and what they are capable of, so you know where and how to light them. You should also make sure you aren’t lighting fireworks meant for commercial displays, those are illegal, you have to have a license, and pack a big punch.  I know when we were kids we lit them and ran away. That was what we told each other, light it and run away.

Use Common Sense when lighting fireworks, know where your escape is and whether you need to hit the deck. Here are some other tips, compiled from many sites.

• Always follow the laws of your city and state.
• Always follow the directions on the fireworks.
• Fireworks should only be lit outdoors.
• Wear safe clothing that isn’t going to put you at risk of damaging your eyes or catching on fire.
• Don’t light or burn fireworks in improper containers or carry them in your pockets.
• Don’t relight fireworks that didn’t light or only partially burned.
• If you find or see illegal fireworks in use, report it. If it’s anywhere near your house, you’re just as likely to suffer property damage as those who are using them.