Snapchatter captures moment before fireworks burn man
Many people associate Independence Day with fireworks. But if you’re planning to shoot some off yourself, remember to do so safely.
A video one viewer sent to ABC-7 serves to illustrate the phrase “if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.” Taken near Montana in east El Paso County, it shows what looks like a multi-shot roman candle or rocket firing sideways along the ground. After one shot, you can hear screams off camera and the person taking the video exclaim “Is he on fire? Yes!”
The viewer, who didn’t want to be identified, said a man was hit by the fireworks, which burnt holes in his shirt and burnt him. The viewer described the whole situation as “crazy and scary.”
ABC-7 talked with the El Paso Fire Department about fireworks safety. Battalion Chief Robert Diaz stressed that fireworks are not toys, and need to be taken seriously.
“Be careful with different kinds of fireworks (like) bottle rockets,” Diaz said. “Don’t aim them at people or people’s houses. They do tend to end up on people’s roofs or hit someone in the face, and we see a large amount of injuries.”
If you plan on lighting fireworks yourself, fire officials urge you to take water in case a fire breaks out. They said you can put it out before it spreads.
