The Fourth of July is on our doorstep. Pretty soon, stores everywhere will be selling fireworks and sparklers. You’ll need to load up early for your celebration.
Before you go shopping, there’s something you need to do. You’ve got to read up on your local fireworks laws. If you use illegal fireworks, you’ll have the police banging on your door.
Purchasing illegal rockets is only one of the many firework safety mistakes that homeowners make. There are several things you need to take into account if you want to have a fun and safe holiday. Check out this firework handling and positioning guide to learn more.
1. Douse Your Old Fireworks
You place a firework in position, light it, and nothing happens. There’s almost no bigger letdown than a dud. Even if you know where to buy fireworks, it’s a common occurrence, though.
Whatever you do, don’t try to get your money’s worth by re-lighting the dud. That’s a good way to take an active firework to the face.
Before touching the dud, you’ve got to douse it with water or sand. That will ensure it doesn’t go off while you’re holding it.
2. Giving Children Access to Fireworks
It’s okay to give your children sparklers if you think they’re mature enough, but you’ll need to keep an eye on them.
Sparklers get hot enough to melt most metals. You don’t want to give that kind of power to a toddler without supervision.
This is true no matter what types of fireworks you’re working with. You shouldn’t let a 5-year-old light a rocket. Let them enjoy the show from a distance.
3. Pointing Fireworks at Another Person
If your friends and family can’t practice safety lighting fireworks, don’t give them access to them.
Fireworks are meant to awe and amaze. You’re not supposed to use them as a toy. Don’t point them at another person or light them while you’re still holding them.
Every firework has the potential to blow upon you. Don’t position your rockets anywhere except for the sky.
4. Drinking and Lighting Fireworks
Having a few drinks at your Fourth of July party is fine, but you’ll want to wait until after the fireworks show to delve in if you’re in charge of firing the rockets off.
As you can tell, there are risks involved with lighting fireworks. These risks get ramped up to ten if you’re under the influence. You may make firework safety mistakes that injure someone (or yourself).
5. Breaking Fireworks Laws
Before shopping for sparklers and rockets, you’ll need to read up on local fireworks laws. If you start firing off illegal ones, the police will come to crash your party.
The laws are also there for a reason. If you break them, you could start a devastating forest fire or hurt someone.
Firework Safety Mistakes Many People Make
There’s almost no Fourth of July party that doesn’t include fireworks to some degree. Lighting them is pretty much a tradition, but you’ve got to remember that you’re playing with fire.
If you make firework safety mistakes, someone could end up in the hospital. Nothing will put a damper on a celebration quite like an ambulance ride.
For tips that will help you budget for your Fourth of July party, visit the Finance section of our blog.