MERIDIAN, Idaho — From barbecues to fireworks, the potential for burns or injuries is at its highest risk during the Fourth of July holiday.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that 73% of all firework-related injuries happen in the days surrounding the Fourth of July.
"There's a lot of burn injuries that occur over the Fourth of July, and most of it is due to just improper use,” says Fire Marshall Ron Johnson of the Nampa Fire District.
Fire officials say it's risky to let children hold fireworks unattended.
"Even something such as a sparkler gets up to 1200 degrees,” says Fire Prevention Officer Lisa Richard of Caldwell’s Fire Department.
Local paramedics say you should have a first aid kit on hand in case you suffer a burn. You should also be familiar with how to treat the burn, and when it’s necessary to call 911.
"You should bandage the burns because what can happen is it opens your skin up to infection. So you want to keep that area sterile and clean. If somebody's injured in any way, call us and we’ll come out,” says Field Captain Chris Wyatt with Ada County Paramedics.
A key to enjoying fireworks safely is proper disposal. Firefighters show us how to clean up used fireworks.
“With gloves on, you’ll pick it up and put it in a steel bucket with water in it," says Richard.
Health and fire officials aren’t the only ones wanting to keep the community safe.
A fireworks stand in Meridian knows that being up to code and recommending age-appropriate fireworks will keep their customers safe and keep them coming back.
“The fire department, they’ll come by and they check everything out, make sure we have the fire extinguishers, hot cans, [keep a distance of] 25 feet, and have all of our signage up. They make sure all of our fireworks are safe and sane,” says Nathaniel Graves, a manager at Family Fun Fireworks.
To keep you and your family safe you might want to just leave it to the experts. All Treasure Valley fire departments are strongly encouraging residents to attend their local firework show. For dates and times, you can visit your city's website.
