Fireworks safety tips to remember on Fourth of July

Fourth of July celebrations are underway for many in the Miami Valley, but setting off fireworks comes with its share of dangers.

News Center 7′s Nick Foley looked into recent injury numbers and the warnings local health leaders want people to keep in mind.

A law passed in the state of Ohio in 2021 makes it legal for people 18 and over to set off fireworks if their local municipality allows it, but legal or not the holiday equals thousands of injuries each year nationwide.

>> LIST: Find local fireworks displays in the Miami Valley

“That’s something that everyone looks forward to and fireworks traditionally have been a large part of that. But with that celebration can come some dangers and we want to remind people that fireworks are dangerous and they need to be treated that way and they need to take proper precautions if you choose to use fireworks,” said Dan Suffoletto, a spokesperson for public health.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, just under 10,000 people had injuries involving fireworks in 2023 and they caused more than $700 thousand in damages last year.

Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County says never use fireworks under the influence and never let minors handle them without supervision.

The CPC says the two highest groups of emergency-treated injuries from fireworks are 15 to 19-year-olds and 5 to 9-year-olds.

“They’re used a lot of times in group settings, party settings settings, where there’s children around so you want to protect the children, keep them as far away as possible from the fireworks and make sure that you’re using those fireworks responsibly. You also want to make sure that you’re using fireworks that are approved for consumer use. So you shouldn’t be using fireworks that they use under professional supervision,” Suffoletto said.

If you are planning on setting off fireworks for the holiday, always keep water or a hose handy. Never try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks and check with your local city government if you are allowed to set them off.