Firework and food tips for a safe Fourth of July
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Fourth of July celebrations can be a lot of fun, but if you're not careful they could lead to a trip to the emergency room.
Thursday is a busy day for anyone selling fireworks in northwest Indiana. Dynamite Fireworks in Hammond is a popular spot going into the holiday weekend.
"I just plan on doing a good show for my neighbors," says Hernan Hernandez. "I haven't done it really, it's actually my first time, so that's why I'm here: to come and buy at least $200 worth of fireworks."
Solomon Liburd and his family will make the most out of their weekend with some fireworks.
"Our campsite got flooded out so we're not going out," Liburd says. "And Yogi Bear, they're totally sold out. So we're gonna camp in my backyard in Oswego."
Dynamite Fireworks owner Kris Zambo says July 4th is always a busy time of year, but this year there have been many calls for celebration recently.
"Firework sales are booming this year, with the Blackhawks winning, with the Saturday Fourth of July and with the fireworks being legal now, for the last 10 years it's gotten bigger and better every year," Zambo says.
Staffers at Franciscan Saint Margaret Health - Dyer Hospital expect a busy weekend too. But the health care workers urge caution this weekend so you don't end up in the ER
"You don't want to come and see me this weekend," says Dr. Theodore Barzso.
Indiana State Police are doing safety inspections to make sure no one is taking fireworks across state lines. So far, they have already stopped 84 people with illegal fireworks.
If you're preparing for a holiday cookout this weekend, you may also be making some mistakes in the kitchen.
Do you wash your chicken before you cook it? As ABC News's Dr. Richard Besser explains, that may actually be spreading dangerous bacteria around.
"If you think about a package of chicken, there have been a lot of studies that have shown that over half of all those packages are contaminated with salmonella or campylobacter," says Dr. Besser. "So you take that chicken and you spray water on there, what happens is it spreads bacteria, sprays bacteria all over your kitchen and your hands, so when you go to make your salad or something else you're going to contaminate it. The good thing about chicken is that no one likes to eat under-cooked, pink chicken, so if you cook it thoroughly, cook it to 165 [degrees] with a thermometer, no one's going to get sick and you won't contaminate your kitchen at the same time."
Melons like watermelon and cantaloupe are staples of many backyard barbecues, but Dr. Besser says you should wait to cut it until just before serving because bacteria from the rind can work its way into the flesh after it's sliced.
"If you take that melon to a cookout, it's going to sit out in the sun for hours and the bacteria is going to multiply and it could make somebody sick," he says. "So if you're going to go with a cookout to a melon, you have to bring the whole melon and cut into it right before you eat it."
And even though sparklers are a backyard barbecue staple, you shouldn't let your guard down around them.
"When you light a sparkler, the temperature at the end of the sparkler is over 1000 degrees, it's high enough to melt glass," he says. "You don't' want to give that to a child, give them a glow stick instead."
