The Fourth of July was always one of my favorite holidays of the year growing up. This was the one time a year we got a chance to play with sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles and other fireworks.
Either because of the cost or they just weren’t available, we never shot off any of the fireworks like you see in professional shows. We’d always have to load up the car and venture to downtown Birmingham to see those fireworks.
As a teenager, I participated in the UAB summer band. The director had a great relationship with the Civil War reenactment troop nearby, and that allowed us to have real cannons and guns for songs such as “American Civil War Fantasy” and the “1812 Overture.” You’ve never played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” unless you’ve played while cannons are being shot on the downbeat of each measure during the loudest part of the arrangement.
Fireworks and Independence Day just go hand in hand. While they are fun, they can be dangerous.
Even big NFL players like Jason Pierre-Paul aren’t immune to fireworks accidents, and I hope that all of you can learn from their mistakes.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 18,500 fires each years are caused by fireworks. That includes 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and 16,900 outside and other fires. These incidents resulted in an average of three deaths, 40 injuries and $43 million in property damage.
In 2017, hospital emergency rooms nationwide treated 12,900 people for fireworks-related injuries. Extremities made up 54 percent of the injuries while 36 percent were to the head. Children under 15 received more than one-third of the injuries, according to estimates derived from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2015 Fireworks Annual Report by Yongling Tu.
Just to tell you how dangerous it can be, sparklers can burn as hot as 1,200 degrees, 300 degrees hotter than the melting point of glass.
Now, I know, you’re going to shoot it regardless of any warning I could give. I understand it, but if you do nothing else, please at least exercise care when dealing with fireworks.
Shoot fireworks in an open field, aiming them away from people, vehicles, trees, buildings, etc., Don’t hold a firework that isn’t meant to be held. If a firework didn’t fire, wait 20 minutes and dump it in a bucket of water. Remember, alcohol and drugs are a dangerous mix with setting off pyrotechnics.
Let’s have a safe and fun patriotic holiday weekend!
Brent can be reached at bmaze@newtoncountyappeal.com.
