Community Corner

Plainfield Fire Dept: Use Fireworks Safely This 4th of July

Submitted by the Plainfield Fire Protection District:

The Plainfield Fire Protection District is urging everyone to be careful while using fireworks to prevent an injury or fire from ruining your holiday celebration.  

Every 4th of July, emergency rooms treat people for injuries as a result of using fireworks. Hands and fingers are most commonly injured followed by injuries to the head, face, eyes and ears. More than half of all injuries are burns.  

In 2011, 29 percent of injured patients were children and teenagers from 5 to 19 years old. Adults from 20 to 44 years old accounted for 49 percent of injuries.  Sparklers accounted for 17 percent of all injuries.  For more injury statistics and details, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.  

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Unregulated novelty fireworks allowed in Illinois include: 

  • Snake or glow worm pellets
  • Smoke devices
  • Trick noisemakers like party poppers, sparklers, toy pistols or similar devices that use plastic or paper caps containing twenty-five hundredths grains or less of explosive compound (and provided they are constructed so your hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for explosion)

Most fireworks classified as “consumer fireworks” are illegal in Illinois.  Some examples of illegal fireworks are hand held fireworks, bottle rockets, firecrackers, sky rockets, roman candles, chasers, buzz bombs, helicopters, missiles, pin wheels, planes and new for this year sky lanterns.  

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Sky lanterns, also known as floating lanterns, are airborne paper lanterns that float away when a candle or fuel cell inside of them is lit. The State of Illinois banned sky lanterns on May 14. For a listing of fireworks that are considered legal and illegal in Illinois, visit the State Fire Marshal’s website.

Safety tips

If you will be celebrating the Independence Day holiday with fireworks, please keep a charged garden hose nearby to extinguish any small fire that could develop in grass or mulch.  

Also, please be aware that sparklers burn at up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.  A lit sparkler can cause a serious burn, and can also set clothing, decks, grass and mulch on fire. Don’t run around with lit sparklers and do not use them while standing on a wooden deck or other combustible material. Always have a bucket of sand available to dispose of used sparklers. If your clothing ever catches on fire, remember to stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames and put the fire out; in fire safety presentations this is referred to as stop, drop and roll.

For more fire and life safety information, call the Plainfield Fire Protection District at 815-436-5335 ext 7314 or visit www.plainfieldfpd.com

The Plainfield Fire Protection District wishes everyone a safe and happy Independence Day holiday. 

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