Safety Stressed Across the States

While many officials around the U.S. are wishing America a happy birthday, their main concerns are the safety risks many people take on this festive summer day.

According to the U.S. Census, in 2007 $217 million worth of fireworks were imported into the U.S. Some people who use these fireworks are not trained to do so and can be a danger to all who surround them. Many news sources across the states spread the word of safety on the Fourth of July in an effort to prevent any accidents from happening.

In Knoxville, Tenn., Captain D.J. Corcoran, spokesman of the Knoxville Fire Department warns, "More accidents are caused by sparklers than any other fireworks. People let their guard down with sparklers because they think they're harmless," reported the Knoxville News Sentinel.

The Mooresville Tribune reported that in North Carolina, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office, July Fourth has more fires than any other day of the year.

Virginia's Daily Press addresses the issues of sparklers as well, with a how-to list. Instead of trying to stop all use of sparklers, the Daily Press advises to put burned out sparklers in a bucket of water to prevent burns as sparklers can stay hot and cause burns even after they have burned out.