GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Health officials are urging you to be careful if you plan to light fireworks Thursday night for the Fourth of July.
The best advice from a doctor at Aurora BayCare Medical Center is not to do it.
However, many people will be setting off their fireworks on the 4th of July, so there are some things you should know to be as safe as possible.
The doctor we spoke to emphasizes the most that children should be kept away from fireworks. Children can be impulsive and grab things, so someone should be assigned to supervise them at all times.
He also recommends that children under the age of 10 not use sparklers because they throw sparks, burn at 2,000 degrees and can cause serious injury.
The next important warning is to never pick up what you think is a dud. Even if it doesn’t explode, it’s still active and often when you touch it, it explodes.
Be sure to soak any fireworks that have been set off before disposing of them, otherwise they may start a fire.
Failure to follow these safety measures may have serious consequences.
“Unfortunately, I had a patient who lost a finger to an explosion. Every year, there are many deaths across the country. I think last year there were 10 deaths reported in the United States from fireworks. So these are not minor things that are not very serious,” said Dr. Donald Beno, a pediatrician at Aurora BayCare Medical Center.
There are other things you can do before you start shooting fireworks to prepare, such as making sure you have water, a hose, and a fire extinguisher nearby in case these items are needed.
According to Dr. Beno, remove anything that could catch fire from the area, even your car – pull it out of the driveway and close your garage door.
Make sure the fireworks are pointed in the right direction: away from people.
It is also essential to protect your eyes. Sparks can injure your eyes and cause vision loss.
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