MADISON, Wis. — Fireworks and the Fourth of July go hand-in-hand.
City of Madison fire marshall, Bill Sulivan, said it is important that to check local ordinances and take safety precautions before buying and setting off fireworks.
“We go on a lot of nuisance calls of people setting off illegal fireworks and we also see an uptick in injuries from fireworks,” said Sullivan.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were 126 firework-related emergency room visits in 2023.
A quarter of those injured were younger than 18.
Sullivan said it is important to watch children around fireworks.
“This is something that goes boom and it does cause injuries,” said Sullivan. “We always recommend that they leave fireworks to the professionals and go see a professional show, whether that be one in the local community or neighborhood."
Christopher Cornellier is the general manager at Cornellier Fireworks.
He said when it comes to setting up and operating fireworks, his team makes sure to provide as much instruction as they can.
“When you purchase your fireworks, you want to make sure you are following the instructions on the labeling; everything you buy you will see the safety warnings and instructions,” said Cornellier.
If you get home after buying fireworks and have questions about setting them up, Cornellier said you can call Cornellier Fireworks with any questions you may have.
Both Cornellier and Sullivan said no matter the size of the fireworks you are using, it is important to have water around in case a fire breaks out.
“A hose works great, fire extinguisher, a bucket, whatever you can do but you need to have something close by,” said Cornellier.