Would you find it of concern if your child's teacher heated a piece of metal until it glowed and then passed in around the classroom for each student to hold and wave around? We suspect that you would.

Well, most people don't realize that a common sparkler reaches a temperature of over 1200 degrees F when burning and glows red the whole time. Thats more than twice as hot as the ignition temperature of wood. Think about that when you hand that sparkler off to a small child. Consider alternatives like glow sticks instead. Check out the chart in this article for other advice.

If you insist on using sparklers, please watch the children closely. Don't let them wave them at others or throw them. Make sure that they hold the bottom (cool) end. Make sure that the used sparklers are disposed of in a bucket of water at least overnight, and not in the trash.

For guidance on approved vendors of fireworks and fireworks safety in general, please contact the Township Fire Marshal’s office at 610-898-1452 Extension 4. You can also visit our friends at NFPA at this link https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/fireworks.