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For many families, Fourth of July celebrations are something to look forward to all summer. But for firefighters, the holiday weekend can be their busiest time of year. 

“To be honest the 4th is a double edge sword for fire service,” said David Hood, former fire chief of Honeoye Falls. “We enjoy the parades and picnics and the professional shows, but it’s not unusual that we’re also dealing with fires and injures caused by fireworks.”

Hood estimates that around 10,000 fireworks related injures happen each year.

“Almost a quarter of injures around the Fourth of July are related to sparklers and are usually burns,”said Hood.

He says fire departments are on standby to respond to these calls and provide medical assistance. While these calls are usually straightforward, putting out fire caused by fireworks can be difficult.

Hood explains that firefighters use special techniques to make sure they stay safe on the job.

“You don’t know if there’s something that hasn’t detonated," Hood said. "We have to be extremely careful, we wet down everything and stay away from actual fireworks.”

The best way to enjoy fireworks? Watching shows done by the professionals. But if you do light them yourself, make sure you wear long sleeves, pants and have a bucket of water nearby.