GREENSBORO, N.C. — The sun is going down in a couple of hours. If you are lighting your own fireworks experts recommend to leave it alone after you light it.
Greensboro Fire warns that you should stay at least 35 feet away when lighting fireworks.
"Walk away as it starts to spark and then make sure if it doesn't go off. You let it sit because it may go off later. If it doesn't you can pick it up with a shovel and still put it in a bucket of water," Matthew Groseclose Fire and Life Safety Educator for GFR said.
Firework expert Daniel George is the Area Manager for TNT Fireworks Central North Carolina. He said simply reading the instructions for fireworks can help prevent serious injuries.
"When you look at our bags it actually has tips on how to correctly light fireworks," George shared.
The state recorded nearly 150 emergency room visits for firework injuries in 2019. Around two thirds of those took place in July. The legal age to purchase and operate fireworks in North Carolina is 16.
Experts tell us some fireworks that are handheld can be the most dangerous. Sparklers can burn to high temperatures around 2,000 degrees.
"Unfortunately the largest group that gets injured by fireworks are children under five. Sometimes they're a little too young to manage the fireworks. Or they can get injured because t they come up to their parent or guardian and they didn't see them," Groseclose said.
When finished, experts recommend drenching your fireworks in water and putting it in a metal bin to throw away.