Independence Day is full of freedom, celebration, fireworks and emergency room visits. 

According to nsc.org, fireworks cause an average of 12,000 emergency room visits and 18,500 fires each year. Plan to stay safe this holiday season with these great tips. 

• Take it from the professionals and do not light fireworks under electrical lines, they’re hot enough. 
• You’re not a dud, even if your fireworks are. Never try to relight a firework that didn’t go off the first time.
• Don’t point fireworks at pets, people or houses. You don’t want your fun night to end with an ER trip or accidentally burning aunt Mary’s beloved shih tzu. 
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to extinguish rogue fireworks. 
• Don’t light fireworks inside homes, campers or tents. It’s not the most efficient way to stay warm on a hot, summer night.
• Never use illegal fireworks. They’re illegal for a reason. 
• Soak spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding them.