Each year hundreds of thousands of public displays are held in communities large and small across the country, combining professionalism and safety to create spectacular beauty. With professional fireworks displays every detail, from transporting the fireworks to cleaning up the display, is planned out months in advance by teams of pyrotechnic professionals, fire service officers, and government officials to ensure a safe and enjoyable display. Instead of trying to attempt their own show, people should look for a municipal display in their area. The risk of injury or property damage is just too great for amateurs to attempt to set off their own fireworks. Preventable injuries caused by sparklers alone encouraged 10 states, most recently Connecticut, to ban these dangerous fireworks which burn at more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
People forget how dangerous fireworks can be.
Yet it only takes one child firing bottle rockets onto an apartment roof or setting off firecrackers in dry grass or brush to create a fire that destroys the homes and dreams of an entire neighborhood. And, if parents show their children that amateur fireworks use is okay, a fair number of those children will decide that it's okay for them to use fireworks often with tragic consequences. To find a professional fireworks display in your area, check your local newspaper or call your local fire department. For additional information, visit NFPA's fireworks safety Web site . Children are invited to create their own virtual fireworks display on the Web site for NFPA's official mascot, Sparky the Fire Dog .