Sparklers are one of the few fireworks that are legal for use in Iowa, but spokesperson for a child safety group says that doesn’t make sparklers safe. Brandi Thompson of Safe Kids Iowa, says sparklers “Are not a safe thing, they’re certainly not toys by any means. And you know we often see them in the hands of very small children. Children who have no concept of fire.”
Thompson says sparklers are more than pretty lights. Thompson says sparklers burn at 18-hundred degrees Fahrenheit, almost hot enough to burn gold. She says sparklers are often misused and that’s when injuries occur. Thompson says kids start out to have fun with the sparklers, but can end up injuring themselves and others. She says kids write their names in the air with sparklers and accidentally hit someone in the face.
Thompson says problems also happen when you have a big group of kids trying to use sparklers. Thompson says you often have kids in a wide age range. She says a twelve year old will do different things with a sparkler than a five year old and the five year old is likely watching and will copy the older child. Thompson says you need to have plenty of supervision to keep kids from having accidents with sparklers.