State fire marshal urges caution using fireworks

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is encouraging families to attend professional, public fireworks displays for the Fourth of July.

Attending a public fireworks display is a safe way to honor our tradition, our shared values, and our hopes for a healthy future.

Permanent scarring, loss of vision, dismemberment — these are all too often the harsh realities of amateur fireworks use.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is urging everyone to treat all fireworks, as suitable, only for usage by trained professionals. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), amateur firework usage endangers not only the users, but also bystanders and surrounding property and structures.

Pyrotechnic devices ranging from sparklers to aerial rockets cause thousands of fires and serious injuries each year.

“Safe fireworks do not exist,” said State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning. “When things go wrong, they go wrong very fast, and often with disasterous consequences.”

Fireworks have been one of the leading causes of injuries serious enough to require hospital emergency room treatment for a number of years. Fireworks can result in severe burns, fractures, scars, lifelong disfigurement or even death. The thousands of serious injuries each year typically harm the eyes, head, or hands and are mostly reported in states, such as Louisiana, where fireworks are legal.

Even sparklers, which are considered by many to be harmless, can reach temperatures in excess of 1,200 degrees.