Fireworks go hand-in-hand with the Fourth of July, prompting the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services to ask residents and businesses to celebrate safely this weekend.
While party poppers, ignitable snakes, snaps and pops, and handheld sparklers are legal in Howard County, spokeswoman Maria Hogg said the sale, possession, and use of ground-based sparklers is prohibited, with violators facing fines up to $1,000.
Everyone must be careful when using fireworks, said Assistant Chief Dan Merson of the Office of the Fire Marshal.
"We want all of Howard County to enjoy a fun, injury-free Fourth of July by encouraging citizens that do decide to use legal fireworks to take precautionary measures and follow our safety tips," Merson said.
A study by the National Fire Protection Agency – provided by the department in a press release – states that handheld sparklers can get as hot as 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also recently released a study stating that emergency rooms see approximately 200 people with injuries caused by fireworks throughout the U.S. every year around July 4; 62 percent of injuries included burns, while 22 percent suffered lacerations or contusions.
The study also found that the majority of those injured by fireworks were under 15 years old.
Other CPSC safety tips include:
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case of fire.
• After a display, children should never pick up fireworks that may be left over, as they may still be active.
• Douse used fireworks with a significant amount of water and leave them for several hours.
• Adults should always supervise fireworks activities and never let children handle fireworks.
• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Never try to re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned.
For information of Howard County fireworks, go to https://www.howardcountymd.gov/July4th.