The story

Before lighting up that patriotic sparkler this weekend, remember to play it safe.

That was the message from the Consumer Product Safety Commission Tuesday, which put out an early July Fourth holiday warning urging families to put safety first when celebrating with fireworks.

"We know that 70 percent of all [fireworks-related] accidents occur between June 20 and July 20," commission head Inez Tenenbaum said during a demonstration of fireworks safety on the National Mall. Read full article »