The Fourth of July is right around the corner and many children get excited about those holiday favorites…sparklers.
On Thursday, Olathe firefighters demonstrated how hot these sparklers can get, ranging anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Across the United States there are more than 18,000 reported fires due to fireworks every year,” Olathe Fire Captain Mike Hall said. “Injuries reported at emergency rooms, about a quarter of all those injuries are due to sparklers.”
Kelly Dahl is an RN with the Burnett Burn Center. She said last year, the majority of their patients’ injuries were from sparklers.
“We saw 27 individuals for fireworks injuries last year right around Fourth of July and the majority -- probably over a third -- were from sparklers,” Dahl said.
Dahl said these sparklers could cause third-degree burns.
“Third-degree burns are very serious,” she said. “We're not talking about a burn that's going to deal with a simple dressing. It's typically going to require skin grafting, which is surgery.”
Burn nurses recommend supervision when it comes to sparklers or having kids just watch instead of holding them by themselves.
In Olathe, fireworks are prohibited. Be sure to check your city or county to see what is or isn’t allowed in your area. We have a guide here.
If you'd rather watch fireworks than set them off yourself, we also have a guide to local events.
