By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
For many, summertime in Mississippi means barbecues, boating, camping and fireworks.
However, it can also mean burns, house fires, drownings and heat stroke for those who don’t put safety first.
With the Fourth of July just hours away, families are gathering their fireworks, taking their steaks and ribs out of the fridge and getting the boats ready to hit the water.
Josh Ferguson, assistant fire inspector and public educator with the Oxford Fire Department warns against shooting off fireworks while drinking alcohol.
“That’s the biggest thing we see every Fourth of July, is someone drinking and shooting fireworks and not doing it right – shooting themselves, it going off in their hand or too close to their ear,” Ferguson said.
Fireworks should also be kept away from children and shot off in an area with wet grass.
“Don’t light them near dry grass or dead leaves,” Ferguson said. “Don’t throw them at people. I know kids like to have bottle rocket wars, but that’s extremely dangerous.”
If a firework fails to ignite, Ferguson says to just leave it alone.
“Pour some water on it and just forget it,” he said. “Don’t try to relight it. Don’t stand over it or pick it up to look at it.”
Fireworks are illegal inside the city of Oxford, except for shows done by permitted, professional pyrotechnicians. They are legal to shoot outside the city limits, however.
“Just make sure to have water or a fire extinguisher nearby,” Ferguson said.
Barbecues and campfires can also lead to tragedy if simple safety steps aren’t taken.
Ferguson warns against putting grills under carports or near outside walls.
“It’s easy for the flames to get high and catch the wall or roof on fire,” he said. “Always have water and or an extinguisher close by and never leave a grill or campfire unattended.”
Lighter fluid should be kept at a safe distance from grills and campfires.
Staying cool can often be a challenge on Independence Day and throughout the summer, with temperatures this week predicted to remain in the high 90s.
Oxford Emergency Management Coordinator Jimmy Allgood said the best way to prevent heat exhaustion or stroke is to simply drink water.
“Keep hydrated – and not just Gatorade-type drinks,” he said. “Mix it up and drink water too.”
Allgood suggests learning the signs and symptom of heat exhaustion and stroke.
Heat exhaustion is the precursor to heatstroke and is a direct result of the body overheating.
According to Mayo Clinic, heat exhaustion is identifiable by heavy sweating, rapid pulse, dizziness, fatigue, cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat, muscle cramps, nausea and headache.
When heat exhaustion is not addressed, heatstroke can follow, which can often be fatal. It results when your body temperature rises to 104 degrees or higher.
In addition to a high body temperature, the symptoms of heatstroke include altered mental state or behavior, nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing and racing heart rate.
“If someone appears to be overheated, get fluids into them and get them to a cool area,” Allgood said. “If they don’t improve quickly, call for emergency help.”
Older people can be more prone to becoming dehydrated due to the medicines they are taking. Antihistamines, blood pressure medications, chemotherapy, diuretics and laxatives can cause someone to become dehydrated quickly.
“Different medications can change your tolerance to heat and direct sunlight,” Allgood said.
Just because the sun goes down, people can still suffer heat exhaustion.
“If you’ve lost a lot of fluids during the day, and you’re still being active even when dark, you could suffer from heat exhaustion,” he said. “It’s not just how hot you are, but how dehydrated you are and your body’s inability to cool itself down.”
One way many local folks try to cool down is going for a swim, tubing or boat skiing on Sardis Lake.
Chris Gurner, natural resources specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said mixing boating and alcohol is just as dangerous as alcohol and fireworks.
“The Fourth of July is a busy weekend on the water,” he said. “Be aware of your surroundings and for other boat traffic, and of course, we discourage alcohol use.”
Alcohol is prohibited by all Army Corps lakes, including Sardis Lake.
“There will be officers on the water looking for boaters who are operating while under the influence,” Gurner said.
A life jacket mandate is still in effect for Sardis, Enid, Grenada, and Arkabutla Lakes.
“Many people wear those inflatable vests, which may be OK for just swimming, but if you’re tubing or skiing, those vests cannot hold up to the impact of the water,” Gurner said.
