Summer is obviously the finest season; the glorious scent of green and growing things, the warm caress of the sun, the long days and the smell of the ocean on the breeze as the dance of the celestial spheres takes us far from the accursed cold of fall and winter.

However, summer also offers the most opportunity to do oneself mischief, from the patient threat of the ocean to the two-wheeled deathtraps that are bicycles to the beautiful removers of fingers that fireworks can be.

Firefighters and law enforcement from around the county have a few pieces of advice for how to stay out of the hospital or newspaper and keep having a good safe time this summer.

Let’s begin with the common denominator for getting to all the majestic vistas the Olympic Peninsula has to offer: driving.

Traffic and travel

“One of the issues is people are always in a rush. They don’t give themselves enough time for traffic backups,” said Josh Mullins, traffic officer with the Aberdeen Police Department. “This is a major thoroughfare to the beach.”

Tens of thousands of tourists will make the trip to the coast every weekend of summer, bringing their RVs and cars and leaving their money with local businesses. Unfortunately, it can make driving somewhat fraught during peaks hours, Mullins said — with local drivers adding to the delay by taking the same routes.

“At those peak times, your time on the bluff is going to range from 5-10 minutes,” Mullins said. “You know these areas are going to be tied up during peak times. They don’t want to go around and then they’re contributing to it.”

Formerly a trooper with the Washington State Patrol, Mullins has seen plenty of road, and the incidents that can occur from unsafe driving.

“People don’t give themselves enough time, they’re in a rush, they’re speeding, they’re not paying attention,” Mullins said. “If you’re speeding, you’re probably too close. If you’re following too close and something happens you’re probably going to rear-end a car.”

Alternate routes, such as side streets or the smaller country routes, are good for avoiding traffic, but drivers must be mindful of conditions unlikely to occur on the highway.

“You have kids not in school. They’re out playing. Kids don’t pay attention and people don’t pay attention. That’s a bad combination. Side streets, if they’re not posted, are 25 mph,” Mullins said. “You have to be reasonable and prudent and you have to reduce your speed.”

Even on larger streets in urban areas, pedestrians are constantly present, Mullins said. Drivers must be mindful, as striking a pedestrian is an excellent way to ruin several days at once.

“If you see a car stopping, they might be stopping for a pedestrian. Don’t just go zooming past it. There could be a pedestrian,” Mullins said. “You’re still required to yield to the pedestrian even if it’s not at a marked location.”

While driving may seem like a good time to compose a song or contemplate the endless cycle of violence and degradation involved in living on this planet, Mullins cautions against it.

“Distracted driving is a major factor for crashes. You could be talking to someone in the vehicle, you could have animals or pets, you could be distracted by your own thoughts,” Mullins said. “Electronics use is another distraction. There’s distractions outside of your vehicle.”

That’s even without limiting one’s ability to drive artificially, Mullins said, such as with alcohol, drugs, or a combination of those. While the legal limit for blood alcohol content for driving in Washington is .08, a driver can be impaired even below that limit.

Good, instinctual driving habits can help too, Mullins said.

“Good driving habits will help protect you. Bad driving habits won’t,” Mullins said. “Taking the seconds to do a complete stop, is it really that annoying? Look the other direction when you’re going to cross at a one way. People are always looking at the traffic and they don’t look the other direction for bicyclists or cars.”

Car care also plays a role, Mullins said— an improperly maintained rig can turn a regular drive into an irregular headache.

“The least maintained piece of equipment on your vehicle is your tires. People ignore that,” Mullins said. “I’ve seen many a crash because of underinflated tires.”

Bicycling

For those eschewing the automobile for that two-wheeled terror, the bicycle, there are also some basics that can keep a ride light and cheerful instead of tragic, said Mitch Housden of the Aberdeen Fire Department. The first and biggest is simple: wear a helmet.

“Wear your helmet,” Housden said. “We have free helmets for youth.”

Those kids helmets are available at Aberdeen’s main station for any county residents, Housden said.

Cleaving closely to laws of traffic can keep bicyclists from misfortune, said Aberdeen Fire Chief Dave Golding. Drivers, particularly those that may be distracted or driving aggressively, are the biggest threat to bicyclists.

“Follow the rules of the road as a bicyclist,” Golding said. “If there’s a bike lane, stay in the bike lane. Be very mindful of the traffic around you.”

Children should always bike with an adult or older sibling, Golding said; it’s best to rein in their natural impetuosity and to keep them close.

“Keep the children with you,” Golding said. “Don’t let them get too far ahead of you.”

Grilling not killing

The allure of flame is timeless and human. Especially when it results in delicious grilled meats. Accidents do happen with grilling, though, Golding cautioned. With a little maintenance, placement and care, the only thing you’ll grill is dinner.

“Make sure your grilling appliances are clean, that they don’t have all of last year’s grease and drippings,” Golding said. “Make sure the device you’re using to barbecue, whether it’s charcoal or a gas grill or firewood, that it’s far away enough from other combustibles.”

Kids are naturally curious about everything, especially fire and its boundless potential. A grill should never be left unattended, Housden said.

“Children are going to be curious what adults are doing. Don’t leave your barbecue unattended,” Housden said. “Don’t give accidents room to happen.”

In the event of a fire, the best thing to do is to cut the fuel, in the case of a gas grill, and cover the fire and let it die out, Housden said. Using water may worsen the situation by spreading the hot, burning grease. For fires in general, Housden said, it’s a good idea to teach kids not to add things to the fire they shouldn’t. Only certain things should be added to the hungering flame.

With a hot dry summer called for, the county may see burn bans. That may affect some kinds of fires, but never gas grills, Golding said.

“It’s much drier here than it used to be,” Golding said. “I honestly believe it’s not an if but a when that we have a major wildfire.”

A fire extinguisher is never a bad idea to keep near a fire, Housden said.

“If you’re going to have a campfire, have a water source nearby to extinguish that fire,” Housden said. “A hose, primarily.”

Fireworks

Since ancient times, gunpowder has been known for its boundless ability to delight and captivate in the form of fireworks. It’s only relatively recently that fireworks have become easily attainable for individual consumers. This has had an effect on the national average for number of fingers.

“They’re allowed on July 2nd, 3rd and 4th. They can only be used on the beach. Nothing in town,” said Kara McDermott, firefighter and public information officer for the Ocean Shores Fire Department. “You want to be really careful that you’re buying legal fireworks.”

The Washington State Patrol has a comprehensive guide to what’s legal and what’s not at www.wsp.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Consumer-Fireworks-Legal-in-Washington.pdf but the quick version is that bottle rockets, other forms of sky rockets, firecrackers, and anything coming under the category of “improvised explosive device” is illegal.

“Some key words to be wary of — bottle rockets, missiles, skyrockets — are not allowed,” McDermott said. “Japanese lanterns are not allowed. People send them up into the sky and they’re like, oh, so aesthetic, and then they crash into our dunes.”

Particularly on the beach, where the beach grass is at immense fire risk, firefighters are leery of fireworks.

“You never want to aim a firework at anybody or anything. Never go toward the dunes,” McDermott said. “Be super mindful that things are going straight up or toward the water, but not toward anyone or anything or anyone else on the beach.”

Bringing a bucket to the beach that can be filled with water to douse fireworks is a huge step toward preventing secondary flare-ups, McDermott said.

“Every year, we have dumpster fires from hot or unexploded fireworks that people toss,” McDermott said. “They have a habit of rekindling. It all kind of melts together into a congealed fuel load. Make sure to give those a really good soak.”

Fires and fireworks within 100 feet of the dunes are strictly prohibited, McDermott said. Many injuries, unsurprisingly, are tied to that old faithful friend of the species, alcohol.

“Alcohol is a major contributing factor toward injuries on the Fourth of July,” McDermott said. “People who are drinking should not be driving or handling the fireworks. Kids should also not be handling fireworks.”

During the Fourth of July holiday, fire and law personnel will be out, tactfully yet firmly letting people know if they’re too close to the dunes.

“Fire and police will be patrolling the beach. We will mark out 100 feet with little flags,” McDermott said. “Most of what we do is educational. Not following guidelines can lead you into trouble.”

Ocean motion

While the brilliant lights and noise draw the eye of visitors, the most patient threat of all waits in the other direction: the vast ocean, in all her terrible majesty.

“Be aware that we’re hoping for really nice pleasant weather for everyone. But even if it’s gorgeous out, that water is going to be cold. Cold water can present extra challenges to even experienced strong swimmers,” McDermott said. “We recommend that everyone wears a life jacket. Especially young kids. It’s cold water. It’s ocean water. And there’s current. It’s a very dynamic space.”

Ocean Shores and other county beaches emphatically do not have dedicated surf rescue teams or lifeguards. You are responsible for your own safety, McDermott said. Parents in particular should pay close heed to their children, keeping them within arms reach and no further.

“Things happen fast out there and you are your first and best rescuer,” McDermott said. “Rip currents are common in our area. They will pull a person out to sea.”

Rip currents, powerful, fast moving currents that pull swimmers out to sea, are prevalent. McDermott said if caught in a riptide, swim parallel to the beach, not against the tidal flow.

“Rip currents have a few telltale clues. A break in the wave pattern, a different color water, a line of choppy water, or a line of foam or seaweed heading out to sea,” McDermott said. “The best thing is to stay calm and remember this is pulling me out, not pulling me under. You should feel eventually that the rip currents lessen. Swim parallel to the shore.”

Driving on the beaches, legal in Ocean Shores and various areas of the coast, is its own adventure.

“Our beaches are considered state highways. All the rules of the road apply. The speed limit is 25 mph, less so in crowded area. No adventurous driving or donuts,” McDermott said. “You have people coming in and out of the water. Traffic is going all different directions. There’s activity all around you. Slower is better. And be super focused.”

You should also consider carefully whether your car should go on the beach in the first place; Ocean Shores saw many electric vehicles become bogged down on the beach, due to their increased weight compared to a fuel-powered car, McDermott said.

“That will sink a vehicle pretty quick and you will need to get towed out. Have a good awareness of what type of car you have and how it will handle on the beach,” McDermott said. “The department does not provide towing services.”

The fast-moving tides can also return and turn a vehicle into a particularly ugly beach artifact before the waves and current drag it out and promote it to coral reef.

“You don’t want to turn your back to the ocean. You always want to know what the ocean is doing,” McDermott said. “It’s always good to plan ahead if you’re going to be out all day and into the night.”

Knowing where on the beach you are, as well as having something visually distinct to help guide in emergency responders, can save critical time in a crisis on a crowded beach, McDermott said.

“In case you need us and you need to all 911, recommend that you have something fancy cool on your campsite or day site. We can use that to help us find you,” McDermott said. “‘When you get to your spot take a moment and write down, ‘I came in on the Chance approach, I took a right, I went down about 100 yards, and I have a big Smith Family Reunion sign.’ There have been times we have spent a lot of time trying to find someone.”

Off the beach, swimming in the rivers and lakes that you’re used to still has some dangers, Golding said.

“A lot of kids like to swim in rivers,” Golding said. “Jumping off bridges is not a safe practice. You just don’t know what’s under the water.”

Parents should always keep a close eye on swimming children, Golding said.

“We don’t have a lot of swimming pools in town, but people will put up inflatable pools,” Golding said. “Keep an eye on the kids when they’re in the pool, especially the younger ones.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or michael.lockett@thedailyworld.com.