Creative ways to stay safe and have fun this summer

WASHINGTON - The summer of 2020 is certainly not your typical summer.

With so many traditional activities shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic, people are finding creative ways to have fun and unwind in their own back yards.

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First responders want to make sure you take steps to keep your family and your neighbors safe.

Backyard fire pits and kiddie pools of all sizes have been flying off store shelves.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer says with small children in water, you don't want to be more than an arm's distance away. Drownings can happen in just a few inches of water.

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He says parents should take extra care not to have their children playing in water if the adults are distracted while working from home.

When you're finished it's also important to drain or cover a pool of any size if it's not enclosed by a fence, so a neighborhood child can't accidentally wander in.

As for fire pits and grills, placement is everything. Keep that equipment away from chairs, furniture and deck railings or anything that could burn.

Piringer says, "In general we say three feet but the bigger that circle the better, especially if you have kids or pets around."

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As we approach the Fourth of July there are some other concerns. Typically officials recommend people attend a professional fireworks performance but those likely won't be happening this year.

The state fire Marshall is warning that a fake notice on fireworks has been circulating in Maryland.