By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – With Arizona’s wildfire season underway and recent red flag warnings in effect, the Tucson Fire Department is urging residents to take precautions before setting off fireworks this Fourth of July.
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Captain Jamie Sieminski said preparation starts before the first firework is lit.
“First and foremost, we want you to have a garden hose out,” Sieminski said. “We want you to wet down the area that you’re going to light the fireworks.”
He said choosing the right location is equally important. The area should be wide open and free of debris or anything that could catch fire.
Sieminski said recent winds and dry conditions make even a small spark dangerous.
“Anything — a small spark — can turn into a full-on house fire,” he said.
Sieminski said sparklers are the number one cause of burn injuries in children on the Fourth of July. He demonstrated that sparklers burn at approximately 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit — the same temperature as a blowtorch.
“You wouldn’t let your kid walk around with a blowtorch,” Sieminski said. He called for direct adult supervision and advised against children walking around with or twirling sparklers, which he said could cause the device to fly toward someone’s face or cause a severe burn.
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Sieminski said a bucket of water should be on hand for spent fireworks and duds. If a firework fails to ignite, he said residents should not attempt to relight it.
“Take a shovel, which gives you a little bit of a distance from it,” he said. “Put it in that bucket of water.”
He said spent and unused fireworks should soak in water overnight and not be discarded until the following morning.
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