Summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, and the Fourth of July are all things that Americans look forward to every year. However, these great summer activities also bring the risk of fires and injuries caused by fireworks and outdoor grills.
Fireworks and grill fires injure over 16,000 Americans annually. More than half of these injuries end up occurring during July, the highest in the year.
fire safety awareness
Summer is a time for fun, but it’s also essential that the user and the family exercise extreme caution when using fireworks, grills, and other hazardous equipment.
Since 1990, Safe-T Fire Protection has been committed to raising fire safety awareness and educating families and communities to help better prevent summer fires.
How To Safely Use Fireworks
In the weeks leading up to July 4, an estimated 230 people have to visit the emergency room every day
Fireworks are a traditional part of the Fourth of July celebrations in the United States. It’s always exciting seeing those beautiful lights go off into the night sky.
But this can, unfortunately, be quite dangerous. In the weeks leading up to July 4, an estimated 230 people have to visit the emergency room every day due to fireworks-related injuries. The majority of these injuries typically involve people’s hands and fingers.
Recommendations
Safe-T Fire Protection recommends never letting children under the age of 12 use fireworks. Another recommendation users have is to follow proper safety barriers and stay at least 500 feet away from any launch location.
If users are setting off the fireworks, use a long lighter, with the fireworks pointed away from onlookers. If users follow these safety tips, users and their loved ones won’t have to spend a night in the emergency room.
How To Safely Use Grills
Summer is the time for backyard grilling. Friends and families come together to enjoy the company of each other, with the grill running on the porch. However, outdoor grilling is also a major cause of fires.
According to the USFA’s National Fire Data Center, outside cooking grills cause over 6,000 fires, over 5 fatalities, over 170 injuries, and up to $35 million in property loss each year. Gas grills alone are responsible for over 2,700 fires, 80 injuries, and $11 million in property damage annually.
Tips to follow
Hot embers can potentially be blown away by wind and onto nearby woods or grasses
When grilling, Safe-T Fire Protection recommends user keep the grill a good distance away from the home and any overhanging branches. They recommend never leaving the grill unattended and removing any grease build-up and other debris after using it. If users have to leave the grill unattended, turn the burners off and close the hood before leaving.
Hot embers can potentially be blown away by wind and onto nearby woods or grasses. If this happens, the user will typically only have a couple of minutes to put the flames out before they grow and spread. Safe-T Fire Protection recommends having a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher close by to help put out the flames.
Fire Safety When Camping
If user’re camping in the summer months, we recommend first examining the surroundings before setting up the tent. Regardless of how experienced users are as a campers, think carefully before selecting a location for the campfire. Try to camp in areas where there is already a pre-made fire pit.
If users don’t have access to such areas, we recommend building the fire in a safe location that is away from any dry grass and overhanging tree branches. Always be wary of the wind, which can blow the fire toward the rest of the forest or onto nearby sticks and twigs.
