The most common day for fires in American is the 4th of July.
According to Dr. Richard Ranne, there are more than 18,000 of them, most of which are due to fireworks.
“Parents need to teach their younger children not to play with fireworks,” said Dr. Ranne, “There should always be supervision including the teenagers.”
Whether its bottle rockets or sparklers, Dr. Ranne says fireworks can be very dangerous.
“Remember, sparklers can be 2,000 degrees, so even young children think these are toys, they are really not and they can burn someone easily,” he said.
Dr. Ranne adds if a burn does occur, it’s important to not wipe or clean the burn.
“Simply put cool water on it, get the hot clothing off and get the patient to the emergency room,” said Dr. Ranne.
Most injuries Dr. Ranne has seen caused by fireworks are to the face and hands.
“One of the most critical injuries occurs to the eye,” he said, “So, if you think you have a burn to the eye, simply cut out the bottom of a paper cup and tape it over the eye and come to the emergency room.”
He says such injuries can be avoided by wearing safety glasses.
Dr. Ranne says he hopes everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July.
