As the middle of summer is upon us and as the nation’s birthday recently passes us, it is important to remember firework safety tips.  Fireworks are a beloved part of summer and an integral aspect in how we as Americans celebrate our recently enjoyed national Independence Day, but they can also be extremely dangerous to both humans and to the environment. 

An unfortunate aspect to summer in America is the occurrence of wildfires that burn thousands of acres of wilderness every year and can bring the high cost of human life.  Some of these annual wildfires are ignited by the improper use of fireworks, which makes firework safety even more of a concern.

Plan Ahead

As we all enjoy the remainder of the summer and plan ahead for next year’s summer activities, may we all remember proper firework safety guidelines.  To protect both our own families and the land around us, consider implementing the following safety tips concerning fireworks:

• Buy only legal fireworks.  The illegal fireworks in each state are illegal for a reason, and to be the safest they can be a family will need to purchase only the legal forms of fireworks.
• Kids should never play with fireworks unattended.  Sparklers, poppers, and other forms of kid fireworks are fun and can be safe for older children to use, but even the use of these forms of fireworks should be closely supervised by an adult.
• Have a bucket of water on hand while using fireworks.
• Douse all used fireworks in the bucket of water to fully extinguish them.
• Never use fireworks indoors or outside in restricted areas such as forested areas or areas with dry grass