Be smart, use common sense with fireworks

Devices need to be used with care to prevent emergencies

Fourth of July is right around the corner, which means Yumans are stocking up on fireworks for the big day.

But did you know that only some fireworks are legal here? According to a Facebook post by the Yuma Police Department, the list of legal vs. illegal is pretty straightforward.

For example, sparklers, smoke balls, cylindrical smoke devices, smoke cones, smoke candles, snakes, party poppers in bottle and pistol forms and snappers are legal all year round.

From June 24-July 6 (and again Dec. 24-Jan. 3), Arizonans can add ground spinners, sparkling wheel devices, cylindrical fountains, square fountains, cone fountains, and California rocket-shaped fountains to the list.

However, some fireworks are illegal all year round, including sky rockets/bottle rockets, firecrackers, reloadable shell devices, roman candles, aerials and single tube devices. It’s important to note that while some fireworks are legal, they should still be used with caution and care.

For example, a lit sparkler dropped carelessly onto dry vegetation can still cause a property or brush fire. So it’s important that people use common sense, and only use fireworks in areas that aren’t at risk of fire dangers.

And then there are personal safety considerations too. Remember that lit sparkler?

Temperatures can reach as hot as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Gizmodo. And the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that between June 18 and July 18, 2016 — a one-month window — an estimated 900 people were injured by sparklers and treated in emergency rooms across the nation. Approximately 400 of those people were under the age of 4, 100 were between the ages of 15-24, and the remaining 300 injured were in the 25-44 age group.

In that same one-month period, there were an estimated 7,600 injuries related to fireworks.

That’s not to say that people can’t have sparklers on the Fourth of July. They are legal and they are fun.

The point is to be careful, because even something as common as a sparkler can cause a host of trouble if one isn’t smart about it.

Fourth of July is a celebration, but that party can quickly go south if there’s a fireworks mishap. Be safe, Yuma, follow the laws, and listen to your common sense. Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.