Tips for Staying Safe with Fireworks on Fourth of July

Fourth of July Holiday Safety Advice from the Fire Department 

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – July 1, 2013 – The Cedar Rapids Fire Department would like to remind citizens that caps, sparklers and snakes are the only legal consumer fireworks allowed in the City limits and state of Iowa.  Even though sparklers are legal, they are one of the most common causes of the 5,000 fireworks-related injuries in hospital emergency rooms each year.  The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit – hot enough to melt some metals.  Eye injuries and hearing damage are the most frequent types of injuries from both legal and illegal fireworks.

The Fire Department wants families to have fun this upcoming Fourth of July holiday.  At the same time, caregivers need to carefully supervise children so that they do not possess dangerous fireworks or mishandle legal ones.  The safest way to enjoy Fourth of July celebrations is to attend a public fireworks display conducted by professional pyrotechnicians. 

No further information is available.