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Fire and Life Safety Office Offers Fireworks Tips

As Independence Day approaches, Alaska’s Fire and Life Safety Department has tips on fireworks safety.  KDLG’s Chase Cavanaugh has more.

With the imminent arrival of Independence Day, many people are gearing up to celebrate with fireworks.  While the State of Alaska bans commercial fireworks, certain communities, such as Dillingham, allow fireworks use during specific holidays. In Dillingham’s case, people are allowed to launch them from 6pm on June 3rd through 6AM June 5th

Mahlon Greene is with the Alaska Department of Fire and Life Safety.  For those who live in communities where they’re legal, he says fireworks can be fun, but must be handled with care.

"The main thing is to read the directions on the fireworks themselves, have adults in the area. The adults should be the one handling the fireworks, even sparklers that kids have always thought were for kids, and you light ‘em and hand ‘em out to the kids to wave around. Sparklers actually burn at 1200-1400 degrees and cause severe instant burns that are pretty traumatic to kids. When they’re put down on the ground, they can start a wild land fire pretty easily.”

To avoid the latter hazard, Greene recommends lighting sparklers in a gravelly or paved area.  Despite their temporary legality, fireworks may not be launched near schools, libraries, churches, hospitals, assisted living facilities, gas stations, or from within any structure or vehicle.  Additional information on the regulations can be found at the City of Dillingham’s website.