KENT COUNTY, Mich — Starting Sunday, June 29th, Michiganders can begin to use fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July holiday legally.
Whether you're planning your own show at home, or just want a cute picture of your kid with a sparkler, consider these tips from Holly Alway, Injury Prevention Coordinator at Trinity Health Muskegon.
"Number one is make sure, if you have children there, that you've got adult supervision," Alway told FOX 17 News. "There is nothing scarier than kids running around with fireworks going off in open flames. That can be really, really dangerous."
Speaking of children, if you plan to celebrate with them using sparklers, Alway again recommends adult supervision and to make sure they are age-appropriate.
"We want to make sure that if we're going to provide sparklers to our kids, that they're they understand the expectations... those sparklers burn somewhere between 1800-3000 degrees Fahrenheit. It's super, super hot, and the sparks fly everywhere," she explained. "Those sparkler injuries account for more than 10% of all of the fireworks-related injuries that we see in in hospitals across the nation."
Alway cautions adults to never hold a lit firework and consider wearing eye protection.
"The other injuries that we see are injuries that result from fireworks that explode close to the body, which can have pretty destructive forces... those injuries that you know are we're always cautioned about. You know, we've held something in our hand and it exploded, and now we're missing parts of our body, which is very unfortunate."
If you are burned, Alway advises cooling the injury and covering it if the burn is minor.
Urgent Care is also an option.
For more severe burns she said call 911 and get help right away.
Alway also recommends having a bucket of water or hose on hand; especially if we see dry weather ahead of the holiday.
"We don't want the worst-case scenario to happen, but we do need to be prepared for that," she said.
Alway added homemade fireworks are never a good idea.
"If it makes sense for you, [please go] to the professional displays... they're much bigger, they're much better," she said. "You don't have to stress about it, you don't have to spend money on the fireworks. And they're a lot safer."
Here in Michigan, you can legally set off fireworks from June 29 to July 4, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., and July 5th if it is a Friday or Saturday.
Read more stories from the FOX 17 Morning News team
Do you have an idea for the Morning News team or maybe an idea for a guest segment or something for the gang to come out and try? Send them an email at mornings@fox17online.com or call 616-447-5252 and leave a message.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
