Keeping safe on Fourth

Sonya Padgett

Tuesday, June 22, 1999 | 10:59 a.m.

Here are some important factors to remember about the safe use of fireworks during the Fourth of July weekend.

DRINKING

Don't mix alcohol and fireworks.

KIDS

Supervise children closely.

BE PREPARED

Keep a bucket of water or hose and a first-aid kit nearby.

DUDS

Never try to relight a dud. Leave it for a few minutes and then scoop it up with a shovel and throw it into a bucket of water.

SURFACE

Use fireworks only on a flat, noncombustible surface.

PETS

Keep pets indoors because they can be injured or frightened by fireworks.

PARKS

Don't use any fireworks -- even Safe and Sane -- at a city or federal park, including Lake Mead. It's illegal.

Many Clark County residents will celebrate the Fourth of July in a traditionally American fashion: with barbecue, beer and fireworks.

But county fire officials are reminding valley residents that there are laws regulating the purchase and use of fireworks for Independence Day.

"There are only seven days in a year when fireworks are legally sold in the county. All other times, fireworks are illegal in Clark County," Las Vegas Fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Licensed fireworks booths will be open for business in Clark County June 28 through July 4 and can only sell Safe and Sane fireworks. Sparklers, pinwheels, and fountains are some examples of fireworks labeled Safe and Sane by county fire officials.

Fireworks purchased outside Clark County may be illegal, Szymanski said. Such fireworks include firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles, as well the explosive devices M-80s and M-100s.

"Anything that explodes or goes into the air is always illegal" in Clark County, Szymanski said.

Explosive and airborne fireworks are prohibited by law because they can ignite the dry roofs of houses, cause brush fires or injure people, Szymanski said.

Last year 10 fires in Las Vegas were related to fireworks. In one case a Safe and Sane firework ignited a yard fire that spread to the house in seconds, causing $25,000 in damage, Szymanski said.

Another fire caused $50,000 in damage to a house after spent fireworks were put in a trash can inside the garage. The fireworks weren't properly extinguished, which led to the fire, and the family barely escaped the burning home, Szymanski said.

Fire departments countywide work together to create a list of fireworks deemed appropriate for use in the county, Henderson Fire Department spokesman J.T. O'Neal said.

"We test each firework individually, looking for fireworks where fuses pull out or any that turn over on a flat surface," O'Neal said.

Laws regulating fireworks exist to ensure the safety of people and property, O'Neal said.

Almost 70 percent of all fireworks-related injuries occur around the Fourth of July holiday, O'Neal said.

In 1998, 7,000 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries nationwide. That number is down from 8,300 in 1997, according to the National Council on Fireworks Safety.

One local man received third-degree burns last year around the Fourth after trying to relight a dud, Szymanski said.

But children ages 5 to 14 years run the greatest risk of suffering a fireworks-related injury, O'Neal said.

Bottle rockets and firecrackers are associated with almost 50 percent of all fireworks-related injuries, according to statistics compiled by the National Council on Fireworks Safety. M-80s and M-100s account for one-third of all Fourth of July fireworks-related injuries. All are illegal in Clark County.

Every Fourth of July, calls to Metro Police concerning illegal fireworks increase, department spokesman Steve Meriwether said.

While the police department encourages residents to report illegal fireworks, Meriwether said such calls put a strain on Metro's ability to respond to more urgent calls.

"Illegal fireworks detract from our normal business of people who need us," Meriwether said.

Last year, roving patrols for the Las Vegas Fire Department confiscated 500 pounds of illegal fireworks and issued six citations. Fines of $300 to $500 were levied against offenders.

Possession or use of illegal fireworks in Clark County is a misdemeanor.