Keeping safety first on the Fourth

Marisa O’Neil

Things get a little loud and a little messy here on Independence Day,

to say the least.

And with people setting off illegal -- and even safe and sane --

fireworks, they can also get pretty dangerous, firefighters warned on

Friday.

Sales of safe and sane fireworks in Costa Mesa start July 1 and

run through July 4. The safe and sane variety are legal to discharge

in the city only between 4 and 10 p.m. on Independence Day.

Costa Mesa firefighters just want residents to use them carefully.

“We want everyone to have a great Fourth of July,” fire Capt.

Randy Croll said. “But we want you to be safe.”

Costa Mesa firefighters set up a display Friday morning in front

of the Ace Hardware store on Harbor Boulevard to demonstrate how to

enjoy the holiday without a trip to the emergency room. They also

trained workers at the store to answer questions from people who want

fireworks safety tips.

Thousands of people are injured by fireworks each year, Croll

said. Often, it’s a lack of parental supervision and safety

precautions that result in such injuries.

Last year, added police and fire personnel and cleanup after the

holiday cost the city $24,000, fire prevention expert Brenda Emrick

said. That amount could be reduced if people cleaned up after

themselves, she said.

Firefighters offered the following tips for a safe Independence

Day:

* Always have parental supervision when discharging fireworks.

It’s illegal for anyone under 18 to set off fireworks without an

adult present.

* Make sure fireworks are set off at least 15 feet away from

people, buildings and other fireworks.

* Discharge fireworks on private property, not in the street.

* Place a small square of drywall, available at hardware stores

for less than $2, under fireworks to protect lawns and driveways.

* Keep a bucket of water, a hose and extinguisher handy.

* Use a long lighter to ignite fireworks, and don’t stand directly

above them when you light them.

* It’s against the law to throw fireworks at another person or at

a building.

* Police can issue citations to people using safe and sane

fireworks in an unsafe manner.

* Fireworks other than those labeled “safe and sane” are illegal.

* Fireworks of any kind are illegal in Newport Beach.