Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades and fireworks. The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal but they are not safe.<\/p>\n
In 2017,\u00a0eight people died and over 12,000 were injured<\/a>\u00a0badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents. Of these, 50% of the injuries were to children and young adults under age 20. Over two-thirds (67%) of injuries took place from June 16 to July 16. And while the majority of these incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, an estimated 1,200 injuries were from less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers.<\/p>\n Additionally,\u00a0fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year<\/a>, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires.<\/p>\n If consumer fireworks are legal to buy where you live and you choose to use them, be sure to follow the following safety tips:<\/p>\n Better yet, grab a blanket and a patch of lawn, kick back and let the experts handle the fireworks show.<\/p>\n Every year, young children can be found along parade routes and at festivals with sparklers in hand, but sparklers are a lot more dangerous than most people think.<\/p>\n Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees \u2013 hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet. According to the\u00a0National Fire Protection Association<\/a>, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries.\u00a0For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.<\/a><\/p>\nFireworks Safety Tips: If You Choose to Use Legal Fireworks<\/h2>\n
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Sparklers Are Dangerous<\/h2>\n