Ledger Independent – Maysville Online

Be safe while celebrating Independence Day

Many firework stands are open in the area for those seeking to celebrate the holiday at home.

Fourth of July celebrations are fast approaching and local officials encourage people in local communities to have fun but stay safe.

Across the U.S, fireworks-related injuries have been up more than 50 percent since 2019, in 2020 18 people died compared to the 12 that were reported in the previous year.

According to Maysville Fire Chief Kevin Doyle, there are not many fireworks-related incidents in the community but he said to follow all safety instructions on the product packages.

”We get very few calls for accidents, but we still advise caution, follow the safety instructions on fireworks and use common sense,” said Doyle.

Doyle offered some tips for safety such as making sure there is a wide and clear space to light fireworks. He also suggested keeping a water hose or bucket of water handy.

“Light fireworks on a smooth and flat surface away from grass or trees; also be careful of dud fireworks (ones that are lit but don’t go off). Sometimes they are still slowly burning and can suddenly go off so give them a couple minutes and don’t try to re-light them” he said.

Doyle said there are also many alternatives available rather than lighting off fireworks at home.

“There are many big professional and public displays from Maysville and Augusta and most surrounding communities that are beautiful and perfectly safe,” said Doyle.

Lt. Jeremy Poe of the Maysville Police Department said he doesn’t anticipate many fireworks accidents in Mason County although there may be a slight uptick in traffic accidents.

“Most holidays there will be a slight rise in traffic accidents as there are more people traveling and we will have check points set up as a caution,” Poe said.

According to Poe, there may be a few more DUI’s than normal though not a huge amount.

A few other tip when using fireworks:

— Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.

— Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.

— Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.

— Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.

— Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.

— Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

— Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.

— Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

— After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

— Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

Here’s to a spectacular and safe Fourth of July.