Hays County Fire Marshal Urges Fireworks Safety

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – Hays County Fire Marshal Clint Browning urges all residents planning to set off fireworks this July 4th to use caution.

“Each year children are burned because they were allowed access to fireworks without proper adult supervision,” Browning said. “Please make sure that children are safely away from fireworks if you are setting them off, or better yet take advantage of one of the professional fireworks displays and enjoy that instead. Don’t have your July 4th celebration turn into a tragedy.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2012 two out of five people injured by fireworks were under the age of 15. The risk of fireworks injury was highest for the children under five, followed by children 10 to 14 years of age. Sparklers alone accounted for two out of five of the emergency room fireworks injuries.

Browning says that If you are setting off fireworks, make sure you have a water source nearby, such as a bucket of water or hose and to water down any suspected areas where sparks could ignite grass or brush, light only one firework at a time to prevent a situation that could get out of control, never re-light a firework that did not properly ignite and read the safety label and follow directions required on all legal fireworks.

While fireworks are legal in the County’s jurisdiction, they are banned in most cities and in Hays County parks as well as on public roadways.