FAIRMONT — Americans across the country are looking forward to celebrating the birth of our nation over the coming holiday weekend. Pandemic restrictions are lifting and gatherings and celebrations are going to feel a little extra special.

With that said, the Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) and Martin County Sheriff Jeff Markquart are urging common sense, caution and safe practices, especially with the use of sparklers and fireworks.

According to information provided by MCHS, sparklers and fireworks-related deaths and injuries occur every year. In 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 12 deaths from direct impact of fireworks, and more than 10,000 injuries were treated at emergency departments in the U.S.

“The hands and arms are often the site of injuries, due to lighting fireworks and holding them,” Kim Schutterle said, M.D., Emergency Medicine physician, Mayo Clinic Health System. “Sparklers also cause burns to hands and arms, especially in small children.”

Eyes are especially susceptible to injury from fireworks as well. Eye wounds account for about 15 percent of fireworks-related injuries from the gunpowder, sulfur and charcoal that make up most fireworks.

If an eye injury occurs, a person’s instinct might be to rinse the eyes, but people shouldn’t rinse, rub or apply pressure to the eyes. Doing so may result in irritants, such as charcoal or gunpowder, to move around the eye and cause further damage. Instead, you should seek immediate medical attention.

Dr. Schutterle recommends these safety tips to people who choose to include fireworks in their private celebrations:

— Be sure to read all safety information and instructions for proper use.

— Keep small children away from fireworks.

— Only use fireworks in an open area that is far from animals, buildings, brush, or any combustible materials.

— Light one device at a time. Never attempt to relight a device that did not ignite the first time.

— Have a bucket of water nearby to cool used sparkler wires and extinguish other fireworks.

— Never allow anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs to use fireworks.

— Once you light it, get away quickly. That warning is on firework labels for a reason.

“Just be safe and use your head,” Markquart said. “If you’re going to have fireworks make sure they don’t leave the ground. People need to follow state statutes, and local ordinances and laws.”