State Fire Marshal Urges Caution When Using Fireworks

Another state official is issuing a warning of caution regarding use of fireworks and other novelties during the Independence Day period.  The latest cautionary reminders come from State Fire Marshal Tim Bean.  Bean says an average of 250 people a day go to emergency rooms in the U.S. with fireworks-related injuries in the month around July 4^th.  Sparklers, often considered safe by parents and given to kids to play with, are one of the leading causes of those injuries.  Bean says sparklers burn at over 1200 degrees, and Osage Beach Fire Chief Jeff Dorhauer says they can get hotter than the temperatures needed to bend steel.  Fires are another concern during this time.  Bean says July 4^th is the busiest day of the year for fires, and almost half of them are caused by fireworks.