Celebrate safely this holiday weekend Published June 30, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Jette Carr 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- A 14-year-old boy was lighting fireworks in the street with his friends when a stray rocket flew sideways. A spark from the firework hit the boy's pants, which promptly caught on fire. Because of this he suffered third degree burns on his left leg and had to undergo surgery. This was one of the many cases described in the Consumer Product Safety Commission' s 2010 annual death and injury report on fireworks. The year 2010 had an estimated 8,600 injuries and three deaths due to fireworks. One of the largest contributors to these were sparklers, with roughly 1,200 attributed injuries. "Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers," said the CPSC. "Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees, which is hot enough to melt some metals." Injury due to improper or unsafe use of fireworks is one of the many reasons to be cautious this upcoming holiday weekend. Because of the extreme drought in New Mexico, fire safety has also become a high priority. The recent rainfall, June 27, was not enough to reduce the potential fire danger, said William Keely, 27th Special Operations Wing, ground safety manager. "Airmen need to be mindful of this while celebrating during the 4th of July weekend." While on Cannon Air Force Base or in Chavez housing, no fireworks of any kind are permissible. However, many Cannon Airmen live off-base and therefore must abide by Clovis and Portales city rules and regulations for the Independence Day holiday celebration. People here have a heightened sense of fire safety because of current drought conditions, said Allan Silvers, Clovis Fire Department, Fire Marshall. This is especially true since an estimated 110,000 acres in the region have burned in wildfires in since April 30, 2011. "We understand it is dry. Other than the rain storms in May and June, the only measurable rainfall is from back in September 2010," said Mr. Silvers. "I've lived here for nearly 20 years and this is the longest gap in rainfall that I can recall." It's hard to say how the 4th of July weekend will be for the Clovis Fire Department, said Mr. Silvers. It depends on how responsible people are, he said. He recommends that, while using anything flammable, such as barbecues or fireworks, people should have a readily available water source, just in case. For additional safety information, the CPSC posted these firework guidelines: Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. Avoid buying fireworks packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays which could pose a danger to consumers. Always have an adult present to supervise fireworks activities. Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting a fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully. Never point or throw fireworks at another person. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire. Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in a metal or glass container. After the firework is extinguished pour plenty of water over the spent device before discarding it to prevent a trash fire. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them. The permissible fireworks in Clovis and Portales are: ground and hand-held sparkling or smoke devices, cone fountains, crackling devices, cylindrical fountains, flitter sparklers, ground spinners, illuminating torches, toy smoke devices, and wheels. No fireworks of any kind are permitted in Curry and Roosevelt County. For questions concerning these restrictions contact the Cannon Fire Prevention Office at 784-4490 or 784-4077. For additional fireworks safety information from the CPSC, click here.