Be considerate, safe while celebrating

You don’t have to lose your common sense while you’re celebrating your freedom this July Fourth weekend.

Most of us are looking forward to having some fun and forgetting our current troubles for a while.

That’s certainly appropriate, and we encourage people to celebrate. But it’s equally important to remind everyone that they conduct their celebrations with an emphasis on safety for themselves and their guests and consideration for their neighbors.

First of all, those who choose to take part in gatherings beyond their immediate family must keep the coronavirus pandemic in mind. Keep the size of the group small. Avoid having lots of people congregating indoors. Keep your distance from one another and wear a mask whenever possible. Even the slightest glance at recent headlines should serve as a powerful reminder of the risk that’s out there.

Then there’s the dangerous activity that’s most closely associated with Independence Day celebrations: Fireworks.

We don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun or put a damper on festivities, but this is a much more serious subject than many people would like to admit.

For starters, be considerate. Complaints about fireworks going off at all hours of the night and early morning have been heard in many communities over the past few weeks, long before the approach of the holiday. It’s bound to get worse now.

Please, if you’re planning to light fireworks, choose one night to do it and get it over with at a reasonable hour. To do otherwise poses a considerable burden on families with pets, small children and others who are disturbed by loud noise. And some folks just want to be able to go to sleep.

Then there’s the issue of safety. The Consumer Products Safety Commission reported fireworks were involved with an estimated 10,000 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during 2019. An estimated 7,300 of those injuries took place during the weeks before and after July Fourth. Children younger than 15 accounted for 36 percent of the injuries.

Property damage is another serious issue, especially with the more powerful fireworks that Pennsylvania now allows. Shooting them off in any urban or suburban setting is an automatic fire hazard.

Here are some basic safety tips that too many people ignore.

• Keep fireworks out of the hands of children.

• Don’t handle fireworks under the influence of alcohol.

• Never throw or point fireworks toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials. Follow the instructions on the packaging.

• Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.

• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.

• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight a “dud.”

• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.

The issue of holiday fire safety goes beyond pyrotechnics. Grilling fires spark more than 10,000 home fires on average each year in the U.S., according to the American Red Cross. Here’s how to cook safely:

• Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use. Don’t add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited.

• Never grill indoors — not in the house, camper, tent or any enclosed area.

• Make sure everyone, stays away from the grill, including children and pets.

• Keep the grill away from the house or anything that could catch fire.

• Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill.

This is not about presenting a choice between safety and fun. It’s about achieving both, and it’s not difficult. A failure to act prudently while playing with fire can turn what should be a celebration into an occasion for great regret.