RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Independence Day is traditionally a day of celebration, cookouts, all things red, white, and blue, and of course, fireworks.
And, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
“Fourth of July, we see more fires than any day of the year and about two out of five of those fires are related to consumer fireworks,” said Captain Danny Rosenbaum of the Henrico Fire Department.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, some 8,700 people wound up in the emergency room with fireworks related injuries in 2012.
As it stands in Virgina, only sparklers, fountains, pharoah’s serpents, pinwheels, and whirligigs are legal for you to purchase, even that varies by county.
In Henrico where all fireworks are illegal. And Rosenbaum says the risk is just too great.
“Even with a sparkler or fountain, they can burn up to 2000 degrees, and that’s enough to cause a 2nd or a 3rd degree burn,” he explained.
Kirsten Adanyia and her husband own Big Bang Fireworks in Powhatan. They sell something called ‘safe and sane’ fireworks, specially made for safety.
“They are designed to protect you from personal injury or fire hazard. They’re not meant to go way up in the air, land on the roof or rub through some dry grass and light anything on fire,” Adanyia said.
And if you do buy fireworks, never lean over fireworks once they’ve been lit, even if it appears to be a dud.
Other tips include making sure you’re in an open area and away from any dry grass and don’t wear loose clothing..
And, in case the unthinkable should happen, Rob Lawrence, Chief Operating Officer of the Richmond Ambulance Authority says:
“Call 911 straight away. Get any debris out of the wound.. Get the wound under water, if you can under a running faucet. And then if it’s a small burn and you can deal with it yourself at home , apply a dry cloth on it…no oils etc..no creams.”
Fireworks of any kind are illegal in Henrico, Richmond, and Chesterfield.
If you get caught with them you could face a $2500.00 fine and up to a year in jail.
