Fire officials urge fireworks safety in Sisters

Improper use of fireworks has led to injuries and wildfires in Central Oregon. Local fire officials are urging Sisters residents to be extra-careful with any fireworks this Fourth of July holiday - and make sure any fireworks you use are legal.

While legal fireworks may be used inside city limits, extreme caution should be used to avoid fire danger. The rural subdivisions around Sisters prohibit any use of fireworks and fireworks are banned across the National Forest.

According to fire officials, over the last 10 years there have been more than 30 fires and several injuries, primarily to children, in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties in fireworks-related incidents.

Nationwide, although illegal fireworks - such as bottle rockets and Roman candles - account for the majority of injuries, legal "Class C Common Fireworks" cause thousands of injuries each year. For children under the age of five, sparklers account for three-quarters of all fireworks injuries.

Children find the bright sparks fascinating, and touch the sticks that burn as hot as 1,200 degrees, hot enough to melt gold.

According to Fire Marshal David Wheeler of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District, where consumer fireworks are legal, you should:

• Have an adult present and never give fireworks to small children.

• Always have a garden hose or bucket of water nearby. Dispose of fireworks properly by soaking them in water and then putting them in a trash can.

• Never experiment or make your own fireworks.

• Light only one firework at a time.

• Never re-light a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water. Children should always tell an adult if they find fireworks, rather than picking up smoking or charred fireworks themselves.

• Never throw or point fireworks at other people or shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.

• Remember that fireworks are prohibited in many parts of Oregon. Check with local homeowner groups for legal locations.

• Use fireworks only in areas far away from anything that will burn, including dry grass and brush, vehicles and buildings.

• Consider attending a professional fireworks show as a safe alternative.

• Call 911 immediately to report any fire or injury.