Officials stop in Greensburg to urge fireworks safety, burn prevention

Jul. 1—Fireworks were blamed for causing a Memorial Day house fire in Penn Township, a scenario local officials are hoping won't be repeated somewhere else over the Fourth of July holiday.

"You can ruin what is supposed to be a happy occasion through the careless use of fireworks," cautioned Greensburg Mayor Robb Bell. "Parties and picnics can sometimes turn into something tragic."

Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department on Friday hosted representatives of the nonprofit Burn Prevention Network as part of the latter organization's Celebrate Safely PA campaign, meant to help prevent firework-related injuries.

"Don't give fireworks to children," said Corissa Rolon, executive director and CEO of the nonprofit. "You want to have an adult who is sober handling them responsibly."

The fire in Penn Township caused minor damage and resulted in no injuries, but that's not always the case.

"One of the biggest reasons for structural fires around the Fourth of July is that people have a great show, they put off fireworks, and then they put the fireworks in a garbage bag on the back porch," Rolon said. "While they're sleeping, that ignites and burns down the house."

Those using consumer-grade fireworks should have a bucket of water or hose at the ready to make sure the spent fireworks are thoroughly extinguished, she said.

Greensburg Fire Chief Tom Bell pointed out state law prohibits igniting or discharging fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure. Exceeding that distance is difficult in a city such as Greensburg.

"It's so close-knit in some of the neighborhoods, there's not any way you could be able to set off fireworks and be 150 feet away from somebody's house, even your own house," he said.

Tom Bell said he, luckily, never has responded to an incident where fireworks caused an injury.

But, he said, that's no reason for people using fireworks to press their luck.

He said sparklers are more dangerous than many realize, accounting for more than 25% of fireworks-related visits to the emergency room by children younger than 5.

Activated sparklers can reach temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees, the chief said.

"That's hot enough to melt some metals," he said. "Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing. Children have dropped sparklers on their feet, resulting in severe burns."

He suggested providing kids with safer alternatives, such as glow sticks, to light up their holiday.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety and the National Fire Protection Association urge those using fireworks not to carry them in a pocket or shoot them into a metal or glass container. The organizations advise not to attempt to relight a "dud" firework. Instead, it should be soaked in water after waiting about 20 minutes.

Other safety tips: Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks; light one firework at a time and quickly move away.

Better still, leave the fireworks to the professionals staging organized displays.

The Burn Prevention Network notes about 486,000 fire and burn injuries are reported each year in the U.S. Annually in Pennsylvania, more than 3,500 hospitalizations involving children are attributed to fire and flame injuries.

Burn coordinator Michele Buraczewski estimated the UPMC Mercy Regional Burn Center admits fewer than a dozen fireworks-related injuries annually but treats a few dozen in its emergency room.

"Hopefully, we don't see you at the burn center," she said. "Our goal is not to see you."

If someone suffers a burn injury from a sparkler, she said, they should avoid applying ice or smearing it with butter or mayonnaise.

She said a cold cloth or clean, dry dressing could be used, with the goal of getting promptly to an emergency room.

Santo Piccolomini of Uniontown became a Burn Prevention Network board member after suffering serious burns in 2015. He said he suffered burns on 30% of his body when he was electrocuted by a high-voltage power line during a work accident in Pittsburgh.

"I spent 49 days in UPMC Mercy and another two years in and out of physical therapy and rehab and different procedures," he said. "I endured skin grafts.

"I don't think I've ever recovered fully. Every day, outside of waking up and looking at the scars in the mirror, there are constant aches and pains."

Piccolomini has channeled his misfortune into action. He is a counselor at a camp for young burn victims near Allentown.

His goal: "To promote safety and burn prevention as much as possible. This is a serous problem that doesn't get the same recognition as cancer or heart conditions."

Visit burnprevention.org for more information and safety tips.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .