HELENA — With the Fourth of July just days away, fireworks stands across the Treasure State are selling poppers, sparklers, and aerials.
"They are beautiful," Aspen Herndon, who runs a Big Sky Fireworks stand, says. "We live in the Big Sky State, and to see them light up the sky on the fourth is amazing."
This year, Herndon is getting in on the fun. She’s decided to run a Big Sky Firework stand for the first time because of the joy the bright bursts have brought her and her family.
“The Fourth of July is a big patriotic holiday, and it’s a good time to be with friends and family," Herndon says.
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While enjoying fireworks, whether setting them off or watching them sparkle, it’s important to keep safety in mind.
Dr. Andy Coil is an emergency room physician at St. Peter's Health and says, "I love watching fireworks and I love lighting them off, but they can be extremely dangerous, so please be careful with what you're doing."
Although the fourth is a time to celebrate, if you aren't using caution when shooting off fireworks, you could end up in the hospital.
Every year, around 32 Montanans endure firework-related injuries.
On the national scale, fireworks sent 14,700 people to emergency rooms with injuries last year and killed 11 people, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
"We see burn injuries, we see traumatic injuries, explosion injuries which are very, very bad," Dr. Coil says. "We have to be careful, especially with the eyes, people are looking up at the fireworks, and ashes and embers can fall into their eyes, and that can be a big deal."
Herndon does her best to help keep customers safe.
"No matter the size, the biggest thing is always just lighting them away from your body, supervising pets and children, and when you are launching them, making sure that everyone is a safe distance from the launch site," Herndon says.
Just a few things to keep in mind while lighting up the sky this Fourth of July.
