Public Urged to Use Caution With Fireworks

4th of July – Celebration – Fireworks – Wellington – FL
Photo Credit: www.unitedrealtygroupwellington.com

Only ‘Safe and Sane’ Fireworks Allowed from June 28 to July 4

With Fourth of July celebrations coming soon, Clark County building and fire officials are reminding residents that only fireworks labeled “safe and sane” are legal for use in Clark County, and only from Sunday, June 28, through Friday, July 4, when it’s legal for authorized dealers to sell them.

“We want everyone to have a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday,” said Ron Lynn, director of Clark County’s Building Department and Fire Prevention Bureau. “Therefore, it is important to remember that any fireworks can cause injuries or start fires if not used with caution, even those labeled `safe and sane’. All firecrackers and any fireworks that shoot into the air are illegal for use in Clark County unless they are part of a permitted fireworks show.”

Legal, “safe and sane” fireworks include sparklers and fireworks that keep to a small, circular area on the ground and don’t explode in the air. Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, roman candles, sky rockets – any item made of highly combustible materials. Any fireworks purchased from vendors located outside of Clark County may be illegal. The County and Las Vegas Valley jurisdictions have tested and approved TNT and Phantom Safe and Sane fireworks as wholesalers for the 2015 Fourth of July season. Possessing or using illegal fireworks is a misdemeanor in Clark County. No fireworks, even those labeled, “safe and sane,” are allowed at Red Rock, Mount Charleston, Lake Mead or other federal areas.

“Even legal fireworks can harm people and cause property damage if they are not used responsibly,” said Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell. “It’s imperative for adults to supervise children when any type of fireworks are in use. Most fireworks-related injuries happen to children age 5 to 14, and many of these injuries occur when adults aren’t present or paying close enough attention.”

The Fire Prevention Bureau expected to issue about 140 permits to non-profit organizations to operate booths authorized to sell “safe and sane” fireworks. Fire Inspectors will conduct inspections at fireworks booths during the sale period which is June 28^th through July 4^th, 2015.

In addition, the Fire Prevention Bureau (FPB) has received eight requests to date for permits from applicants planning to host professional fireworks shows over the Fourth of July holiday in unincorporated areas of Clark County, including the Las Vegas Strip and outlying rural areas. The dates of the proposed shows and the venues involved are as follows:

• July 1           Station Casinos fireworks spectacular at Palace Station to celebrate 40^th Birthday at 9 p.m.
• July 3              Las Vegas Motor Speedway/dirt track, Lucas Oil racing event
• July 3             Clark County Fairgrounds, east parking lot
• July 4             Primm Valley Resort
• July 4              Caesars Palace
• July 4              Las Vegas Golf & Country Club
• July 4              Opportunity Village, vacant lot north of Englestad campus

The use of fireworks comes at a time of year in the County when wildfire danger is highest because vegetation is driest during the spring and summer months. The Fire Department encourages residents to clean up dry debris and brush around their property to limit the availability of fire fuels. Fireworks safety tips are posted on the Fire Prevention Bureau pages of Clark County’s website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov. Key recommendations include:

How to Handle Fireworks

Preparation

• Have a pre-connected garden hose handy in case a fire breaks out.
• Maintain several five gallon buckets filled with water where you can place discharged fireworks.
• Use fireworks on flat, hard surfaces such as parking lots, cul-de-sacs, etc. away from buildings, vehicles, dry brush, etc.

Using

• Use only “safe and sane” fireworks and only in the way they were designed.

• Coordinate lighting the items so that everyone in the group anticipates when they will be set off and are not surprised.
• Do not let children ignite fireworks.
• Keep close supervision on children and pets; maintaining a distance away from the fireworks that are being ignited minimizes the possibility of injury.
• Keep fireworks out of young children’s hands. Sparklers can be popular items to give young children, but they can hot enough to cause clothes to catch fire or cause bad skin burns when used.
• Exercise caution when approaching an item that has failed to light; keep everyone away from it for several minutes. (Sometimes a fuse malfunctions enough to slow the ignition time down, but it ignites seconds later.)
• If fireworks malfunction or catch on fire, make sure someone with a water supply can get to it and extinguish the firework.
• Before you begin lighting fireworks, discuss what to do if someone’s clothes catch on fire: Stop, drop and roll. Any burns should be treated with cool water and gauze. If the burn blisters, seek medical help.

Afterwards

• Place the discharged fireworks into a bucket of water overnight to make certain they do not re-ignite.
• Check the area where fireworks were set off and conduct a wide sweep around the area to make certain that no embers or other heated debris remain that could cause something to ignite later.