Hospital Says Stay Away From Fireworks

West Penn Hospital is urging picnicers and partyers to stay safe this Fourth of July holiday. Director of the Hospital's Burn Center Larry Jones says fireworks and grills are two main sources of burns every year. Jones says personal fireworks can cause severe damage to the face, eyes, and hands, and should be avoided completely.

"They're problems not only because of the immediate care, but they produce long-term disabilities. They are injuries the individual will have to cope with the rest of their life. It's a sad thing to see in young people, and it tends to be young people that suffer these injuries," says Jones.

Jones says to keep small children away from the grill when you light it and afterwards, because curious kids tend to touch it and get burned deeply. He says in the city of Pittsburgh, fireworks also mean more than just burns: they're illegal, they will be confiscated and the owner will be given a citation. He says it's more fun to leave it to the professionals, anyway.