Keep your July Fourth from going up in smoke
Simple safety steps can make your holiday boom
Ahh, Independence Day.
The Fourth of July is just days away, bringing with it barbecues, the great outdoors, gatherings with family and friends and that time-tested celebratory tradition, fireworks. (Heck, even the national anthem speaks about “the rockets’ red glare.”)
Yes, fireworks displays are festive, but as Mount Pleasant Fire Chief Doug Lobsinger knows, they can quickly turn hazardous.
“We want people to have a good time, we just want them to be safe,” he said. “It’s usually family time or a group of friends and they usually have libations going on or having a good time. We need to have at least a couple of people who have their heads … clear.
“You can have a lot of fun with (fireworks),” the chief continued, “but you can have a fun day turn bad really quickly.”
Now granted, there are plenty of free, professionally-planned fireworks displays scheduled for the area to help you celebrate sans stress. But if you’re the type who loves to put on a show the whole neighborhood will celebrate, simple safety can keep your holiday sparkling.
In the city of Mount Pleasant, personal fireworks are legal on private property starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. Under the city’s fireworks ordinance, adults over the age of 18 may legally discharge consumer fireworks (those built and bought commercially) until 11:45 p.m. through July 4 … with some exceptions:
- Fireworks may not be launched by those using alcohol, cannabis or other controlled substances
- The manufacture and use of homemade fireworks are off limits within city limits
- Pyrotechnics may not be used when the area is under a burn ban
- Fireworks may not be launched on any property other than your own (including schools, churches or public property) without the owner or organization’s express permission
Violators may face a misdemeanor charge and from $500 to $1,000 in fines, under the city code.
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Burn warning
And while fancy, sky-high fireworks may bring out the kid in their fans, city law says those under 18 may not light the high-flying projectiles. Sparklers, snappers, snakes and poppers -- those ground-based fireworks legally known as low-impact fireworks – are the age exception; however, given their blazing hot potential, adult supervision is strongly encouraged.
“Sparklers are kids’ favorites and they burn at about 1,200 degrees,” Lobsinger said. “It’s very dangerous to hand a 4-year-old a lit sparkler and let (them) wave it around.”
According to the National Safety Council, sparklers account for more than 25 percent of fireworks-related emergency room visits. For children under 5, they account for nearly half of the total estimated fireworks injuries, the council reported.
Lobsinger said a 2023 study found some 700 children receive medical treatment each year due to sparkler burns.
With all that in mind, if a home fireworks display is still on the holiday must-do list, here are some simple safety tips – courtesy of the City of Mount Pleasant – to help keep your celebration from going up in smoke:
- Read, know and follow all warnings and instructions for the different products
- Only light fireworks on smooth, flat surfaces that are away from residential areas. Clear those areas of dry leaves and other flammable materials that could ignite.
- Keep a hose or bucket full of water nearby. (Lobsinger recommends both, so if the hose is too short to reach the launch area, you still have easy access for an emergency dousing as necessary.)
- Do not try to re-light a firework that has malfunctioned.
Lobsinger recommends having a radius of about 150 feet of clear, flat ground from which to fire, and designating a safety person to keep audience members safely outside of from the launch zone.
While the 150-foot radius is ideal, Lobsinger said at a minimum, keep all fireworks at least 25 feet from the house.
“Just try to focus on safety and what you’re doing,” he said. “You don’t need a bunch of kids running around lighting them while Mom and Dad are watching.”
For those responsible for lighting the fuse, he said safety glasses and work gloves for handling the canisters both before and after launch are also good ideas. If a rocket fails to light, give it time and space to diffuse before picking it up, he said, and for obvious reasons don’t look directly down the barrel.
“It’s a projectile,” he said. “You don’t want to be looking at it” if it were to go off.
Depending on the size of the display, the chief suggested having a few five-gallon buckets of water or a small pool on hand to soak cannisters overnight, after the show.
“You never know if something is burning in there and has just been smoldering – not really smoking – and maintaining its heat,” he said. “People pick them up and throw them away and we have trash fires.”
Furry Fourth
Finally, Lobsinger said, keep in mind that while you may love the big bangs, your furry friends might not.
“I see a lot of people taking dogs to fireworks, and I always feel bad for them,” the chief said.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the hallmarks of the holidays that we humans love can be scary, dangerous and potentially fatal to companion animals.
“Fireworks, picnics and other Fourth of July traditions can be great fun for people,” according to the association website. “But all of the festivities can be frightening and even dangerous for animals. Noisy fireworks and other celebrations can startle animals and cause them to run away; holiday foods can be unhealthy; summer heat and travel can be dangerous; and potentially dangerous debris can end up lying on the ground where pets can eat or play with it.”
The best bet, according to the association, is to leave your beloved pet at home, if at all possible.
If not, or if home is where the happening is, here are a handful of quick-and-easy ways to keep your animals safe:
- Ask guests to keep an eye out to make sure your pet doesn’t escape
- Let guests and family members know rules about table scraps, especially what is not acceptable to feed Fido.
- If big booms make your buddy nervous, make sure they are in safe, escape-proof rooms or crates during the fireworks displays
- Keep sparklers, glow sticks, fireworks, charcoal and other dangerous items out of animals’ reach.
- Keep livestock in safely fenced, secured areas and away from the noise and activity.
- Make sure all animals have access to fresh water and a place to get out of the sun, heat and humidity.
- Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with name tag, that if they are microchipped, your information is up-to-date and that you have current pictures of them, just in case they get out.
Lobsinger said the key to a good holiday is common sense and a clear brain.
“People get having fun and don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said. “You can focus on safety … and let everybody else have a little fun.”
