The North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the Town of Chapel Hill are urging residents to follow safety tips this July Fourth.

According to Fire Marshall Tommy Gregory, the safest way to celebrate is by attending the public fireworks display at Kenan Stadium rather than attempting to host your own.

“Small, consumer fireworks burn at very hot temperatures and can be extremely dangerous with the potential to cause life-changing injuries,” says Gregory. “If you do use sparklers and other fireworks that are legal in Chapel Hill, do so in a safe space with adequate options to extinguish them.”

On top of fireworks safety, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood stressed that regular grill maintenance and supervision of children around pools is of utmost importance at July Fourth cookouts.

“It doesn’t take but just a little bit of water and a short amount of time to have somebody’s life over,” says Blackwood.

Increased travel and alcoholic consumption make the highways more dangerous this holiday as well. The State Highway Patrol urges citizens to arrange for designated drivers or alternate transportation if they are planning to consume alcohol.

“Losing just one life from a needless collision involving an impaired driver is simply inexcusable,” says commander of the State Highway Patrol Colonel Glenn McNeill Jr.

Related Stories
‹
Here's What You Need to Know Before Chapel Hill-Carrboro's Fireworks on July 4
The Town of Chapel Hill will once again celebrate Independence Day with its annual fireworks celebration at Southern Community Park on Tuesday, July 4. The park will open for the event at 7 p.m., with fireworks expected to begin at approximately 9:20 p.m. “This is truly an all-hands-on-deck event and I’m proud to see how […]
Here's How Our Community Will Celebrate Independence Day
Fourth of July is marked with a variety of festivals and events, both in-person and livestreamed, in Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham County.
How to Be Safe with Fireworks
This July 4th, Chapel Hill is offering a variety of ways to celebrate, notably the fireworks display at Kenan Stadium. The Chapel Hill Fire Department is reminding citizens that the best way to practice good firework safety this summer is leave it to the professionals.
Talking Books: Books and Booms!
This week, Susan joins AJ, filling in for Aaron Keck, to talk about Chapel Hill's July 4th fireworks extravaganza, supplying some great logistical information for the evening, and talks July 4th inspired books!
Here's the Complete Banner Schedule for Downtown Hillsborough This Summer
Throughout the summer, the Town of Hillsborough will display a rotation of street banners to honor holidays and celebrate Pride Month. Here’s a complete schedule of which banners can be seen when: May 25-June 1 — U.S. and state flag banners to recognize Memorial Day June 1-15 — Pride flag banners to recognize LGBTQ Pride […]
Town of Chapel Hill to Paint 'Walking Lanes' in Neighborhood
In an effort to create a safer space for pedestrians, the Town Of Chapel Hill will paint designated "walking lanes."
UNC's 'Zombie Preparedness Festival' Educates Students on Emergency Prep
The Pit on UNC’s campus is treated as a central hub of activity during the school year. Walking by, you can typically see just about anything happening nearby. On Thursday, that included zombies.
Chapel Hill Seeking Public Input in Selecting New Police Chief
The Town of Chapel Hill is providing residents the opportunity to give feedback and guide its search for the next Chapel Hill Police Chief.  After Chief Chris Blue announced his intention to retire, the police department started seeking a replacement. To help, the town government recently released a short survey where residents can share their […]
Lead Detection in UNC Library Leads to Removed Fountains
After detecting lead in multiple tests, UNC announced it is removing several drinking fountains from Wilson Library.  The University’s Office of Environment, Health and Safety shared the news in an email to the campus community on Thursday around 3:30 p.m. “Other drinking fountains in the building were tested, showed no detectable levels of lead and […]
Ukraine Girds for Heavy Attacks as It Marks Independence Day
Written by DEREK GATOPOULOS and INNA VARENYTSIA Ukraine nervously braced for what President Volodymr Zelenskyy warned could be especially brutal Russian attacks Wednesday as the country observed its Independence Day — and marked the war’s six-month point — under conditions considered too dangerous to allow any major public celebrations in the capital. Residents of Kyiv […]
›