If you are like me, the Fourth of July can never come soon or often enough. The holiday brings back so many fond childhood memories of cookouts and friendly competitive firework displays with the neighbors. With a weakening economy this year, many cities are making the unfortunate decision to not host Fourth of July Firework displays. Fireworks

If you plan on going it alone this year and are hosting your own fireworks display, there are a few safety precautions you want to take to protect those items most precious to you – your family and home. Below are the safety tips recommended by the National Council on Fireworks Safety. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

• Use fireworks outdoors only and never near houses.
• Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them!
• Always have water handy (a hose or buckets of water).
• Don’t try to alter them or combine them.
• Never re-light a “dud” firework (wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water).
• Use common sense when using fireworks. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter, and the shooter should wear safety glasses.
• Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated” shooter.
• Only persons over age 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of any type.
• Do not ever use homemade fireworks or illegal explosives.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 12:06 pm and is filed under Owning a Home, Random Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.