Community Corner

4th of July Safety Tips From the Red Cross

Tips to stay safe when grilling, in the sun and with fireworks.

From the Red Cross

Whether you are planning to grill, enjoy the sun, watch fireworks, or all three this Independence Day, be sure to keep safety in mind. The American Red Cross Bay Area and Silicon Valley Chapters offer these tips for a fun and safe holiday.

Grill Safety: 

Find out what's happening in San Ramonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Never grill indoors.
  • Always supervise a barbecue and make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill.
  • Keep the grill away from the house, deck, tree branches, or anything that could catch fire. Hot grease or ashes could spill from the grill onto a wooden deck or into dry leaves or grass.
  • Use long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill.
  • Never add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited.
  • Be ready to close the lid and turn off the grill to cut off the fuel if necessary.
  • Keep a fireproof pan under the grill to catch falling ashes or grease.
  • Trim excess fat from meat to avoid flare-ups.

Sun Safety:

  • Try to limit direct sunlight exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least 15 SPF throughout the day.
  • Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine.
  • Wear sunglasses with UV protection.

Fireworks Safety:

Find out what's happening in San Ramonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Never give fireworks to small children and always follow the instructions on the packaging.
  • Keep water close by if using fireworks.
  • Wear eye protection if lighting fireworks.
  • Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
  • Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
  • Never throw or point fireworks toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.
  • Stay at least 500 feet away when watching professional fireworks displays.

For more safety tips, visit redcross.org.

-------

Follow San Ramon Patch on:
Facebook — facebook.com/SanRamonPatch
Twitter — twitter.com/SanRamonPatch

You can signup for San Ramon Patch's daily newsletter here: sanramon.patch.com/newsletters


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here