El Paso Fire reminds community to practice Fourth of July Safety

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, the El Paso Fire Department reminds the community that the use of fireworks within the city are prohibited and extremely dangerous.

According to El Paso Fire, the use of fireworks inside city limits is a Class C misdemeanor with fines of up to $500.

Officials said firework injuries are one of the leading causes of medical emergencies during Fourth of July celebrations with children being the ones injured most often.

Common injuries and accidents when using any pyrotechnic material include severe skin burns, eye injuries, hearing loss, and fires. The department said, even the seemingly harmless pyrotechnic materials like sparklers can be the culprit of severe injuries or accidents. Sparklers, for instance, can reach temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

To keep safe during the holiday weekend, the fire department provided the following safety tips:

• Dial 9-1-1 if in need of emergency assistance.
• Consider attending an authorized public fireworks display.
• If attending a public display, children must be supervised at all times.  Do not pick up any firework debris as it could still be hot enough to cause burn injuries.
• Keep grills and other fire sources at least 7 feet away from your home, roofs, trees, etc.
• Establish a pet-free and children-free safe zone at least 3 feet from any stoves, ovens, or grills.
• Completely extinguish any items used for cooking charcoal, wood, or pellets.
• Residents who live outside city limits, need to check any applicable bans before using fireworks.

During this time, we also see many frightened pets escape from their homes. Its important to bring pets indoors during firework displays, ensure pets have a collar with ID tags, and have a microchip with up to date information.

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