If done right, the 4th of July celebration is an event worth remembering, filled with good food, high spirits, a strong sense of national pride and eye-popping pyrotechnics. If done wrong, however, you will remember it for all the wrong reasons.
Keep yourself and your family safe this 4th of July week by practicing some firework safety tips.
- Avoid alcohol. There are not many statistics available that connect firework injuries to alcohol intake, but many agencies and officials agree: fireworks and alcohol do not mix.
- Keep water nearby. Just in case one of the fireworks gets out of control, keep a hose or bucket nearby to extinguish the flames.
- Read the instructions carefully. Do not make a guess about how an unfamiliar firework works – it could lead to accidental injury or death.
- Dispose properly. When a firework goes out (or if it never starts), soak it in water before tossing it.
- Avoid natural kindling. Sparklers seem like the most fun and innocent kind of firework, but make sure to keep an eye on where your kids are swirling their sparklers. A pile of dry leaves just needs a single spark to go up in flames.
These are just a few simple precautions you can take to make sure your family has a wonderful time this 4th of July. Use common sense, keep an eye on the kids and reflect on how lucky we are to live in this great nation.
“’I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!’” – Luke 12:49