Central Indiana emergency officials urge caution ahead of amateur firework shows

INDIANAPOLIS – There are a lot of fireworks shows across central Indiana celebrating Independence Day.

Emergency officials are asking people interested in setting fireworks off to put safety first. While the bright colors in the sky are a symbol of patriotism, they can also lead to an evening of complications.

“If you are going to set fireworks off, think about those around you,” said Lt. Ryan Herron with the Westfield Fire Department.

The fire department is anticipating a busy Fourth of July weekend with an uptick of calls, like they see year after year.

“Make sure they’re landing on your property,” said Herron. “You’re not starting fires on your neighbor’s property that way you can keep an eye on it.”

They want to remind folks to douse their explosives in water after they’re used to prevent any issues.

“We’ve had a couple of fires where people put used fireworks in the trash can, put the trash can in the garage, and they wake up in the middle of the night to their house on fire,” said Herron.

While they respond to fires, they also respond to injuries. Herron said burns are the most common injury they see at this time of year, even from some of the small handhelds.

“I don’t know if a whole lot of people know how hot sparklers burn, but it’s somewhere between 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Dr. Tyler Stepsis with Eskenazi Health.

Over at the hospital, emergency room doctors said almost every year they see people who have had fireworks explode in their hands or their face, causing some serious injuries and at times, losing limbs.

“Most injuries are time sensitive, and so the quicker we take care of it, the better,” said Stepsis.

The hospital also anticipates a busy holiday weekend.

First responders just want people to think twice before pointing a Roman candle at someone else or staying within the blast radius of a rocket.

“The younger you are, the less likely it is that you’re going to make that extra half second or second to think about it first,” said Stepsis.

Stepsis said that while malfunctions happen, most of the time the injuries they see are preventable.