Summertime fire safety Published June 24, 2015 By Senior Airman Jack Kanning 412th Civil Engineering Group fire inspector EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Summer is upon us! This means lots of fun with family and friends. At the Edwards AFB Fire Department we want your summer to be fun, memorable and safe. Here are a few tips to help keep you and your family safe this summer. Barbecue Safety Ensure that barbecues are kept a safe distance from your house and clear anything flammable, such as shrubbery from the surrounding area. Maintain a safety zone around the barbecue to prevent children and pets from being injured. We know its hot out, but please do not use your barbecue indoors. It creates an enormous fire hazard along with poisonous carbon monoxide. Ensure barbecue coals are completely cooled before disposing of them. Do not put hot coals in trash cans or dumpsters. Vehicle Safety Our hottest part of the year here at Edwards is right around the corner. Vehicles sitting out in the sun all day are going to be even hotter. Use caution when securing children in car seats. Metal buckles will become extremely hot in the vehicle and can cause very painful burns. Open windows and doors to help cool down the inside of the vehicle before entering. Do not leave children or pets unattended in the car for any reason. Heat injuries can result in a matter of a few minutes. Do not block fire hydrants during neighborhood gatherings. Blocked fire hydrants make it very difficult for the fire department to do their job. It is also very expensive for you when the fire department has to forcibly enter your car to move it to access the hydrant. Additionally, the fine for obstructing a fire hydrant is $80. Fireworks Safety In California only the "Safe and Sane" fireworks are legal for use. However, even these fireworks are not legal for use in every city. The general rule is, if you can buy the fireworks they are legal for use in the city where you bought them, but even this rule is changing. Palmdale allows the sale of "Safe and Sane" fireworks but has recently restricted the areas where they can be used. Before using fireworks, check with the fire department where you intend to use them to make sure they are legal in that area. "Safe and Sane" fireworks are illegal in Lancaster. Please remember that fireworks are prohibited on Edwards AFB unless approved by the base commander. We hope these tips will be helpful in making your summer more safe and enjoyable. For questions or concerns please contact Edwards AFB Fire Prevention at 661-277-2335/3643.