Stay Safe July 4Th.

[:dlb]

I talk about this every year. If I can influence just one person about the dangers of fireworks and sparklers Then I've done my job. I am a burn survivor myself and I know firsthand that burns are very painful. Not only do you live with permanent physical scars but also the emotional/hidden scars. It never goes away and healing never truly ends.

I've met quite a few kids over the years whom were burned by sparklers or fireworks. Including a 6 year old girl who was burned when a spark from a sparkler landed on her shoe and continued to burn all the way through. Keep in mind sparklers burn at temperatures of at least 1800 degrees, so yeah that's plenty hot enough. She was running around franticlly screaming while her family thought she was playing and joking around. By the time her shoe was removed she had recieved 3rd degree burns all the way up to her ankle requiring surgery and hospitilization.

Please be safe this 4th, accidents still happen. Just today a friend of mine from the IFSA was accidently burned in the foot during a demo on the dangers of fireworks. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/mt_prospect/chi-fire-chief-fireworks-20120703,0,2116678.story She's fine fortunately and it's just a blister. But it coulda been a lot worse.

And a link to another lil girl burned last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfwMTq9mfuw. Couldnt find the youtube link to girl mentioned above but I knew her personally.

[Bettypooh]

Thank you for the reminder, and I hope we will all be careful as we have fun this 4th Celebrate safely

Bettypooh

[Darkfinn]

Fire and firework safety cannot be overstressed... remember folks, fireworks are explosives. Pretty ones, but still explosives.

[I M Soaked]

Well, region of the US, that I live in, currently has a Fireworks ban in place, due to drout conditions. So I guess I'll just have to watch out for the idiots on the road.

[:dlb]

It's good to see people are heeding the positive advice. Every year I always hear the opinions or just trolls who wanna start trouble that simply dont care. They all have excuses it's our right, we're not stupid we're careful, kids learn their lesdsons, etc. Awful painful and permanent lesson to learn.

[Rockies Fan in Diapers]

Well, region of the US, that I live in, currently has a Fireworks ban in place, due to drout conditions. So I guess I'll just have to watch out for the idiots on the road.

Same here. Where I'm at some professional displays have even gotten cancelled.