Ring In The New Year With Safety First

Tonight is the night when many people celebrate the coming of a new year with fireworks.  The Louisiana Fire Marshal, Butch Browning, says he hopes people have lots of fun this year, but he wants safety to be the top priority tonight into tomorrow.

Browning wants citizens to remember that even though Louisiana has had lots of wet weather lately, there are still plenty of things that can catch fire, and folks must be ready by playing it safe.  He suggests having a hose and/or a bucket of water handy to put out any flames.

Browning says fireworks should only be handled by adults, and kids should watch from a safe distance.  He says the only time that children should use fireworks is if they are under strict supervision.

The fire marshal says that another good piece of advice for anyone using fireworks is to make sure you are not consuming alcohol which can impair your judgement.

Browning says after lighting fireworks always make sure you walk away as quickly as possible, and never try to relight a firework that did not pop. He says once a firework goes off you should watch it all the way to make sure all the embers that fall to the ground burn out.

He says simply using common sense when lighting up the sky for friends and family to enjoy can be the easiest way to have a safe holiday.