The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and BLM Nevada want everyone to enjoy fireworks shows and to remember that fireworks are illegal in the Tahoe Basin, much of the surrounding area and on public lands in Nevada.
They are asking everyone who want to enjoy fireworks to see a public show and to stay safe by not using fireworks yourself including sprinklers and firecrackers that are also illegal. Officials say that sparklers can burn hot enough to cause third-degree burns.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 16,900 outside and other fires.
They say these fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and an average of $43 million in direct property damage.
For injuries related to fireworks, in 2015, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 11,900 people where 51% of those injuries were to the extremities and 41% were to the head. For more information on fireworks related injuries, go to Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2015 Fireworks Annual Report by Yongling.
Additionally, BLM says Nevada received above average precipitation this winter and spring that caused an increase in vegetation like cheat grass. Add dry, hot and windy conditions, this increased vegetation increases the potential for severe wildland fires.
For more safety tips, visit www.nfpa.org/education and BLM Nevada's “Know Before You Go” website at https://www.blm.gov/programs/know-before-you-go.
(Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and BLM Nevada contributed to this story)
