Be Careful celebrating Independence Day with Fireworks

As we celebrate the nation’s birthday on July 4th, many will choose to mark the holiday with fireworks.  However, fireworks can be very dangerous, so Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch offers this safety advice.  “Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires a year, 1,300 structure fires, they cause an average of three deaths, 40 injuries, and about $43 million in direct property damage.  In 2015, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated about 11,900 people for fireworks-related injuries, 51% of those were the extremities and 41% to the head, and children younger than 15 accounted for about a quarter of those.  So, we’re just stressing to everybody to get out and have fun and to be safe.  Even the smallest things like the little sparklers that the kids play with, those get up to 1,200 degrees and so they seem very safe but handled wrongly they can cause pretty severe injuries.  So, you always need to watch the kids.  Stand several feet away from lit fireworks.  If it doesn’t go off, don’t stand over it and try to figure out what was wrong, just dose it with water and dispose of it.  Have a fire extinguisher or bucket of water handy in case the grass catches on fire or anything fire happens.  And then of course, if anyone is injured go to a doctor or hospital or call 911 immediately.”  Please follow this safety advice about fireworks and have a safe and happy 4th of July.