How to Take the Hurt Out of the Holiday : Safety: Use care around fireworks and bonfires this weekend, advises a doctor who doesn’t want to see you.

UC Irvine plastic surgeon Dr. Bruce Achauer makes a living performing reconstructive surgery. But there’s one type of patient he doesn’t want to see come through his office.

It’s the burn patient, in need of plastic surgery as a result of a fireworks accident or bonfire mishap--all too common during Fourth of July weekend celebrations.

“The fortunate thing about it is, these injuries are preventable,” said Achauer, one of the country’s top plastic surgeons.

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Achauer and county health care workers have offered safety tips to ensure a safer Independence Day. If followed, Achauer said, the number of doctors’ visits for fireworks-related injuries this holiday weekend should continue to decline, reflecting national and county trends.

According to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, more than 11,000 people nationwide require emergency treatment for fireworks-related injuries. In Orange County, there has been a decline in the numbers, but Achauer says he sees on average a dozen cases every Fourth of July holiday.

The state fire marshal’s office recorded 17 injuries in Orange County last year, down from 200 in 1982.

The decline in fireworks-related injuries, said Hugh Council, chief of the technical services division of the state fire marshal’s office, can be credited to three factors: public education, the banning of dangerous fireworks and the confiscation of illegal fireworks by authorities.

As more cities ban the sale of even so-called “safe and sane” fireworks, fewer people are igniting their own fireworks on the Fourth of July and more are watching public displays.

Council said the number of injuries over the years prompted city officials to enact their own laws. Only five cities in Orange County now allow the sale and ignition of legal fireworks; the other 26 prohibit use of any fireworks.

The state fire marshal’s office has distributed a six-minute video on fireworks safety to every elementary school in the state, Council said.

In addition, Council said, a number of fireworks were declared illegal everywhere in the state.

“Remember those metal core sparklers that were so cool to throw because the ends were heavy and they looked neat flying through the air?” Council said. “Well, they’re illegal.”

Council said that type of sparkler was banned after people walking barefoot stepped on the metal core and burned their feet.

Further, local authorities have been urged to enforce the laws vigorously, he said.

“You see officers keeping a better lookout for people who use illegal fireworks, and they are encouraged to patrol their cities more than they ever have,” Council said.

Burn expert Achauer said the holiday can be enjoyed safely if people take care to handle fireworks properly, extinguish bonfires correctly and apply sunscreen generously.

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Achauer advises parents to use discretion when allowing their children to play with what might seem to be the most innocent fireworks, especially sparklers.

“People don’t realize even the little fireworks, like the sparklers, are extremely hot,” he said. “We have little boys with fireworks going off in their pants pockets. It produces some nasty injuries.”

Achauer also said there is a lot of misinformation about how to extinguish a bonfire. He recommends dousing the fire with water or letting it burn out naturally.

“There will be fires lit on beaches and one thing people were taught is to cover the fire with sand,” he said. “It makes an oven. These coals burn all night long and the next morning little toddlers walk across them and burn their feet.”

Prolonged exposure to the sun also can cause burns.

“We usually have one or two admissions to the burn unit every year because the body was burned by way too much sun,” he said. Achauer suggests using a high SPF sunscreen. Recent surgical patients need to take extra care, he said, because “surgical scars will be aggravated and won’t heal as quick.”

Achauer said that with caution, people can have a fun, burn-free Independence Day. “I don’t want to see people filing in because of something that could have been prevented,” he said.

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Fireworks Backfire

Fireworks-related fires and damage costs both declined substantially last year. Here is the trend for the four-week period, June 17-July 16: (see newspaper for graphs)

Year: 1994 Fires: 52 Damage: 39,820

Safety Tips

Here are some things to remember when purchasing and handling fireworks: * Buy only legal fireworks--marked Class C Common Fireworks--that come with instructions * Store fireworks in a cool, dry place inaccessible to youngsters * Avoid rough handling * Adult supervision is essential when youngsters light fireworks * Light fireworks outdoors in a clear area away from anything flammable; keep water handy * Light one firework at a time, then move to a safe distance * Douse fireworks that fizzle with water; do not relight * Soak leftover items in water and discard wet * Do not light fireworks in bottles or cans, take fireworks apart, add ingredients or make pipe bombs

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Sources: Orange County Fire Authority, California State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms