Stay with WTOP for coverage of America’s semiquincentennial Fourth of July, including fireworks, ‘A Capital Fourth’ concert, and other celebrations. Tune in to 103.5 FM on air, online or
Where there are fireworks, there’s smoke — and a greater risk of breathing difficulties for people with asthma, emphysema and other lung diseases
Smoke and particulate matter from fireworks send people to the emergency room every July Fourth chief of interventional pulmonology for the Inova Health System
“These patients typically, although they are typically active and functional, they can easily be set off by different kinds of irritants,” Mahajan, who works often at the Inova Schar Cancer in Fairfax, Virginia, told WTOP
While large displays like President Donald Trump’s America 250 display can release larger amounts of smoke, the symptoms can begin building in the days leading up to the holiday, as people set off fireworks in their own neighborhoods
People who are susceptible to the smoke should try to avoid it and be prepared to wear a mask and take medication if they can’t. Vulnerable patients should also take precautions for a day or two after the Fourth, Mahajan said
“As long as you can still see that kind of smoggy layer that you know exists over the D.C. area afterward, again, keep your mask available and keep your medications and rescue medications ready, just in case,” he said
President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 fireworks display is to launch 850,000 shells from staging areas on and near the National Mall
Last year on the Fourth of July, the National Park Service said it set off 7,000 fireworks
For those who want to see the National Mall fireworks in person, the record heat is of greater risk to more people than the smoke, Mahajan said
“Someone who is healthy usually is not an issue, might be a little bit irritation, but that’s pretty short-lived for them. It’s more so those individuals who have underlying lung disease that we worry about,” he said
Though with any luck, the weather could make the smoky aftermath more tolerable
“In a perfect world, it’s nice and bright and sunny until the fireworks are completed and that night it storms down,” Mahajan said. “As we know, that very rarely actually happens in that order.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here
