Safety with Fireworks

Summer is here and it is time for the Fourth of July holiday. For many people, this holiday means food, fun, and fireworks. Fireworks can be fun; but they also can be very dangerous.

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association reported that fireworks started an estimated 34,079 fires in 2024, including 3,246 structure fires, 857 vehicle fires, 29,517 outside fires, and 459 unclassified fires. These fires caused an estimated 59 civilian injuries and $98 million in direct property damage. Also in 2024, U.S hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 14,700 people for fireworks related injuries.

To keep this holiday from turning into a tragedy, the Hickory Fire Department offers these safety precautions.

• Always read and follow label directions.
• A responsible adult should be the person using fireworks and children should only be observers.
• Purchase fireworks from a reliable dealer.
• Ignite outdoors only.
• Have water handy to extinguish fires or soothe burns.
• Never experiment or attempt to make your own fireworks.
• Light only one firework at a time.
• Never re-ignite malfunctioning fireworks and be extremely cautious of one that doesn’t work the first time.
• Do not permit children to handle fireworks.
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place and dispose of properly.
• Never throw fireworks at another person.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them in metal or glass containers.
   

The Hickory Fire Department recommends leaving the fireworks to the professionals and never allowing children to ignite fireworks. For more information on summer safety, contact the Hickory Fire Department at 828-323-7420 or www.hickorync.gov.