Fourth of July brings barbecues, family gatherings and fireworks displays. As the holiday weekend approaches, health officials emphasize the importance of fire caution in preventing fire-related accidents and injuries.
Clark County Fire District 6 already responded to a fireworks-related grass fire Tuesday afternoon near Hazel Dell Community Park. The small fire is likely the first of many ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, the fire department said.
Witnesses say two people in a white Dodge pickup shot a mortar in the dry grass field near the park and left shortly after, according to the fire department.
“Luckily, part of the field was mowed yesterday, or this would have been a much larger fire,” the fire department said in a Facebook post.
Last year, 9,000 fireworks-related injuries occurred, according to a report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Sixty-six percent of those injuries occurred near the Fourth of July, between June 17 and July 17.
Alexis Smithers, director of advanced practice providers at Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care in Portland, has issued a community warning ahead of the weekend outlining actions to take in case of an injury.
Smithers said treating burns with lukewarm water for 10 to 15 minutes is safer than using icy cold water, as that can cause more damage. However, she urges members of the community to seek medical care for burns larger than 1 or 2 inches.
Third- and fourth-degree burns are best suited for the emergency room, while second-degree burns may be cared for at an urgent care center, she said.
Although fireworks are banned within Vancouver city limits, they can be used in unincorporated Clark County from 9 a.m. to midnight July 4. Illegal use outside those times can result in a $500 fine for first-time offenders. Other jurisdictions in Clark County have varying rules for fireworks.
For more information about when and where fireworks are allowed, visit clark.wa.gov/community-development/fireworks.
