Firefighters ask for caution when lighting fireworks

Injuries as much a staple of Fourth weekend as multi-hued skies

Fireworks lovers in Moses Lake will only have a few hours to enjoy their explosive pastime this Fourth of July.

City residents will be allowed to light fireworks from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on that day and that day only. The sale of fireworks is allowed until noon on July 6.

County residents abide by a slightly different set of rules, said Rick Wentworth, Grant County Fire District 5 Batallion Chief .

"State law says that discharging fireworks is legal from June 28 to July 6, except from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. each day. People want to sleep," he said.

On July 4, the county rules change again. Fireworks are legal to discharge from 9 a.m. to midnight anywhere in the county unless there is a local ordinance dictating otherwise, as it is Moses Lake's case.

What does not change each year is the lines of people visiting emergency rooms throughout the state and the country due to fireworks-related injuries. Moses Lake Fire Marshall Bret Bastian gave a list of recommendations for citizens who will try and set the sky on fire this weekend.

First, he said, citizens must realize that fireworks are toys that are "best left to adults," and although they are fun to light up and watch, certain safety measures are needed beforehand, such as choosing an area of at least 90 feet by 90 feet that is free of obstructions, and keeping an garden hose or a fire extinguisher handy, along with a bucket of water.

Having plenty of room is essential, he explained, so that people have space to get away from fireworks once they are lit. Bastian recommended never holding any fireworks in your hand after they have been lit.

Other tips include:

-Knowing what the fireworks do before you light it, reading instructions carefully.

-Keeping everyone a safe distance away, with a minimum of 60 feet, as well as burying the fireworks up to half its length in the ground or in a pile of sand. Be aware of where the wind may carry your fireworks to.

-Keeping pets indoors and away from fireworks. They can become very frightened by the noise.

-Never attempting to relight fireworks that have misfired. Never try to put fireworks in your pockets, or lighting them near buildings, fields or cars.

The message of safety has been well received by most of the people doing their fireworks shopping early, vendors say, especially coming from concerned parents and grandparents.

Having the kids heed the message is another matter.

A youngster by the name of Taylor Frazier showed up at a fireworks stand on Stratford accompanied by Betty Jones, his grandma. Much below the 16-year-old minimum age to buy fireworks, but tightly clutching the goodies Betty had bought him, Taylor said he would lit those babies up himself.

His grandma quickly added, "With supervision. These kids think they are bigger than they are."

Most vendors said sales had not been quite as brisk, but things were sure to change with the Fourth, the beginning of the month and payday looming closer.

"It's typical of the first two to three days of sales, relatively slow," said Ed Way from the Moses Lake Radio Controllers, who work the Stratford booth near Schuck's Auto Supply. "The closer we get to the Fourth of July, this place will turn into a madhouse."

Madhouse or quiet house, Bastian asked citizens to blend a healthy dose of caution in with the fun of turning the sky all sorts of pretty colors.

"Don't let your holiday turn into a tragedy," he said.