A Cheatsheet to Firework Safety

7/1/2021 (Permalink)

One of the most popular activities during Fourth of July celebrations is watching or lighting fireworks. However, this activity can be highly dangerous.In 2017, eight people died and over 12,000 were injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents. In today’s blog, we’re providing firework safety tips to keep your family and you safe this holiday. 

One of the best tips is to leave the fireworks to the professionals. They are properly trained and have experience using fireworks. 

However, if you do decide to use legal fireworks, here are our tips to keep everyone safe:

• Never allow young children to handle fireworks
• Never use fireworks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands 
•  Never light them indoors
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
• Never use illegal fireworks

Additionally, according to the National Safety Council, fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires. Here are some tips to protect your home while others use fireworks:

• Clean out your gutters- Gutters are often clogged with flammable items such as twigs or leaves. A stray spark from a firework could hit these items and start a fire. Remove any flammable items from your gutters and also dispose of them from your yard. 
• Water your plants- If your plants are dry due to drought, it could be helpful to water them before lighting any fireworks. If they’re damp, they’re less likely to catch fire if they are hit by sparks from fireworks. 
• Set off fireworks far from your house- The further away the firework display is, the better off you are in terms of avoiding damage to your home. 

SERVPRO of Norridge wishes everyone a Happy Independence Day!