LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Zoneton Fire Department is urging people to practice safety when using fireworks after the department responded to two fires during a 24-hour span that were caused by fireworks.
According to the fire department, one fire was caused by a misdirected rocket that set a trash can on fire. Another grass fire was caused by a fireworks mishap that shut done one lane of I-65 South in Bullitt County.
Zoneton Fire Marshal Tracey Key said people should follow these safety tips:
- Only people 18 years old and older should handle fireworks
- Wear safety gloves
- Read any instructions on the fireworks
- Choose a flat and level surface that is at least 200 feet away from buildings, vehicles and people (which is a state law)
- Never point fireworks at a person or building
- Make sure any fallout from the fireworks will not land in dry brush
- Keep water hoses or buckets of water nearby so you can douse any fireworks remnants with water before putting them in the trash. Keep that trash away from buildings, just in case
- Don't smoke or consume alcohol while setting off fireworks
But Key said a lot of the fires they see happen after the fireworks have already been set.
"When the fun is done, they just scrape it up and throw it in the garbage. Some of those things can stay hot for a little while and we know what's in the garbage. Those things just don't mix well together," he said. "Most of that revolves around improper discarding. So they're not letting them cool off. They're not putting them in the water. Waste management has probably replaced 10 garbage cans already."
Key said people should always have a bucket of water or a hose nearby and should soak all the leftover remnants before throwing them in the trash.
He also said while people enjoy celebrating Independence Day with fireworks and alcohol, the two should not mix.
"We're just asking you to maybe ask somebody that has had a little less fun than you to be in charge of the fireworks display," he said.
According to the Consumer Project Safety Commission, around 10,000 people were treated at the hospital with fireworks-related injuries in 2019. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that fireworks started around 19,500 fires in 2018.
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