Students are out for vacation, the temperature is beginning to creep upwards and red, white and blue merchandise is starting to appear on store shelves. Among these telltale signs of summer are fireworks.
“We start getting calls for fireworks starting a few weeks before the Fourth of July and they just keep coming until a few weeks after,” said San Bernardino firefighter Jason Serrano.
One month before the holiday, June 4, firefighters were called to North Park Elementary School, 5378 N. H Street, for two 12-year-old boys who had been severely injured by explosives.
According to Serrano, it appears the boys were playing with M-100 or higher explosive. These kinds of illegal devices are usually made from flash powder and are designed to make a large bang. Nearby neighbors reported hearing two very loud booms, according to reports.
Although Serrano could not be specific about the boy’s injuries, he said they were devastating.
The tragic event illustrate the dangers of fireworks and explosives during the Fourth of July holiday.
“Around the Fourth of July, we’re just running from one call to another,” said Serrano.
According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report, there were 11 nonoccupational fireworks-related deaths in 2014. Four victims died in house fires caused by fireworks. Seven victims died from direct impacts of fireworks. An estimated 10,500 people were hurt by fireworks that same year, the report shows.
“People have to be careful with all sorts of fireworks and explosives, even the ones called Safe and Sane that are allowed (in San Bernardino),” Serrano said.
The city of San Bernardino allows legal Safe and Sane fireworks to be purchased and lit below the 210 Freeway, but there are nearby cities, including Redlands, that do not allow the use of any firework, Serrano warns.
The possession of any type of fireworks, including Safe and Sane, is illegal in any unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, however the sale of Safe and Sane fireworks are allowed in the cities of Adelanto, Barstow, Chino, Colton and Rialto, as well as specific locations in Fontana, Grand Terrace and San Bernardino, according to San Bernardino County fire officials.
Injuries are just one of the possible dangers of using fireworks.
Sparks, even from the Safe and Sane fireworks, can cause a large brush or even home fire.
“Sometimes the sparks can end up in palm trees and those embers can then fly and ignite a building or home,” Serrano said.
A responsible adult should always supervise all firework activities and they should never give fireworks to children, according to fire officials.
Authorities also advise those lighting fireworks should wear safety glasses and should only light them once at a time.
When lighting fireworks, always have a bucket of water and water hose nearby and dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and placing them in a metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials until the next day.
Instead of using any fireworks, Serrano and county fire officials advise people watch some of the manylocal fireworks displays hosted by various cities and groups in the Inland Empire.