The biggest summer holiday is here, and families are preparing their Fourth of July get-togethers and cookouts. While you’re planning what to eat and where to watch fireworks, make sure you’re also thinking about how to keep your kids safe during celebrations.

Alejandro Garcia, M.D., pediatric surgeon and director of the Pediatric Burn Program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, is sharing three of the most common injuries he sees around the July Fourth holiday, and how parents can help prevent them.

1. Sparklers might seem like a safer, more kid-friendly alternative to fireworks, but Garcia says they can get to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Young children should not use them. Older kids and teens should not use sparklers without supervision. Be sure to keep sparklers away from faces and hair.

2. Keep children a safe distance from grills and fire pits, even after the flames have gone out. According to Garcia, embers can stay hot for up to 24 hours after flames are gone. Kids might think it’s safe to play near fire pits when the flames are out, but they can still get seriously burned if they fall in. Garcia recommends cooling embers with a bucket of cold water.

3. Tabletop fire pits and s’mores makers are a growing reason children are brought to the emergency room with burns. Rubbing alcohol is used to ignite the machines, and if it’s added incorrectly, it can lead to explosions. Children should not use tabletop firepits or s’mores makers without adult supervision.

Check out a video of Garcia discussing burn prevention ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

To interview Garcia, contact Paige Acevedo, communications specialist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, at [email protected] or Kim Polyniak, communications manager, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, at 443-510-5807 or [email protected].