Red, White, & BOOM! 15 Tips For Firework Safety

Every Fourth of July, hundreds of people travel to celebrate the holiday with their families. Picnics, pies, and parades are summer staples to celebrate the Fourth, and so are fireworks. However, how safe are fireworks for your family?

Fireworks account for nearly 12,000 reported hospital injuries each year. The most common people injured by fireworks are children and teens. Most of the time, these injuries are sustained through mishandling and misuse of fireworks.

Still, if your family chooses to hold its own firework display, here are some few helpful tips to keep you and your family safe this year:

• Never give a child a firework.
• A responsible adult should handle the fireworks at all times.
• Never mix alcohol and fireworks; wait until after the fireworks to start your festivities.
• Wear safety glasses and other protective gear while handling fireworks.
• Only use fireworks in clear areas away from all houses, buildings, vehicles, and trees.
• Light one firework at a time.
• Obey all firework laws in your local area.
• Never buy & ignite illegal or homemade fireworks.
• Never attempt to make your own fireworks.
• Get to know your fireworks (read the labels and performance descriptions).
• Never try to relight a firework that is considered a “dud.”
• If a firework does not go off, wait 20 minutes and then soak the firework in water.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket (the friction can ignite it).
• Never shoot fireworks into metal or glass containers.
• Always keep a water source such as a hose close to where you are lighting the fireworks.

The best advice for firework safety is to leave it to the experts. Grab a blanket, an area of grass to watch your local fireworks display, and stay safe this summer.

Nelsonville hosts its own firework display called Thunder in the Valley on the Fourth of July located on the Hocking College campus. Three shuttle trains will be available for transportation with the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway. Buy your tickets and board the trains at the Nelsonville Depot located next to Rocky Brands. The three shuttles will leave promptly at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m., with the firework display starting at 10:00 p.m. Various food vendors will also be available to treat your whole family.

Celebrate the Fourth of July safely in beautiful Nelsonville, Ohio.