[1]Dr. W. William Benton, left and Ron Grant, staff the fireworks stand on South Market Boulevard in the parking lot of Ace Hardware. The Kiwanas Club of Chehalis stand will be open until 9 p.m. on Wednesday, or until their stock runs out.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
While the big day isn’t until Wednesday, fireworks are already on sale and being put to good use.
Riverside Fire Authority’s Assistant Chief Richard Mack wants the public to celebrate safely.
Just last week, a 34-year-old former Toledo man lost part of his hand when a mortar-type firework exploded as he was setting it off in Centralia.
Mack offers the following advice to prevent injuries and fires:
• First, set family boundaries – only adults should light fireworks. Supervision is paramount in keeping children safe.
• Second, fireworks should not be readily available to tempt the curiosity of young children and should be stored in a secured location to prohibit their access.
• Most importantly, talk about safety. Summer weather conditions make grasses and other vegetation dry and vulnerable to fire. The snow and ice storms that occurred in January left a tremendous amount of tree debris on forest floors, which is tinder dry today. Use care in selecting the area where you will be discharging fireworks.
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Read “Mortar-type firework explodes in man’s hand” from Friday June 22, 2012, here [2]