Fireworks are dangerous! Please check out the resources below: Legal Fireworks General Safety Child Safety Pet Safety

How extensive is the problem?

• In 2005, four persons died and an estimated 9,300 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries in the United States.
• An estimated 5% of fireworks-related injuries treated in emergency departments required hospitalization.

Who is most likely to be injured?

• About 45% of persons injured from fireworks are children ages 14 years and younger.
• Males represent 72% of all injuries.
• Children ages 5 to 9 years have the highest injury rate for fireworks-related injuries.
• Persons who are actively participating in fireworks-related activities are more frequently injured, and sustain more severe injuries, than bystanders. 

When and where do these injuries happen?

• Injuries occur on and around holidays associated with fireworks celebrations, especially July 4^th and New Year's Eve.
• Most of these injuries occur in homes. Other common locations include recreational settings, streets or highways, and parking lots or occupational settings.

What kinds of injuries occur?

• Fireworks-related injuries most frequently involve hands and fingers (26%), eyes (21%), and the head and face (18%). More than half of the injuries are burns (63%); contusions and lacerations were the second most frequent injuries (18%).
• Fireworks also can also cause life-threatening residential fires.

What types of fireworks are associated with the most injuries?

• Illegal large firecrackers represent 2% of all firecracker injuries.
• Firecrackers (24%), rockets (18%), and sparklers (11%) accounted for most of the injuries seen in emergency departments during 2003.
• Sparklers were associated with the most injuries for children under five.
• For children ages five to 14 years and people ages 15 to 24 years, firecrackers, rockets, and other devices (including sparklers) were the source of most injuries.

How and why do these injuries occur?

• Availability:In spite of federal regulations and varying state prohibitions, "class C" and "class B" fireworks are often accessible by the public. It is not uncommon to find fireworks distributors near state borders, where residents of states with strict fireworks regulations can take advantage of more lenient state laws.
• Fireworks type:Among "class C" fireworks, which are sold legally in some states, bottle rockets can fly into one’s face and cause eye injuries; sparklers can ignite one’s clothing (sparklers burn at more than 1,000^oF); and firecrackers can injure one’s hands or face if they explode at close range.
• Being too close: Injuries may result from being too close to fireworks when they explode; for example, when someone bends over to look more closely at a firework that has been ignited, or when a misguided bottle rocket hits a nearby person.
• Unsupervised use: One study estimates that children are 11 times more likely to be injured by fireworks if they are unsupervised.
• Lack of physical coordination: Younger children often lack the physical coordination to handle fireworks safely.
• Curiosity: Children are often excited and curious around fireworks, which can increase their chances of being injured (e.g., when they re-examine a firecracker dud that initially fails to ignite).
• Experimentation: Homemade fireworks (e.g., ones made of the powder from several firecrackers) can lead to dangerous explosions.

How much do these injuries cost each year?

• In addition to medical costs directly and indirectly attributable to fireworks injuries, U.S. fire departments reported approximately 24,200 fireworks-related fires in 2005 that were estimated to have cost $17.2 million in direct property damage.

What effect do laws have on fireworks injuries?

• Studies suggest that state laws regulating the sale and use of fireworks affect the number of injuries incurred. For example, in one state, the number of injuries seen in emergency departments more than doubled following the legalization of fireworks.
• Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the federal government prohibits the sale of the most dangerous types of fireworks to consumers. These banned fireworks include large reloadable shells, cherry bombs, aerial bombs, M-80 salutes, and larger firecrackers that contain more than two grains of powder. Under this same Act, mail-order kits to build these fireworks are also prohibited.

What is the safest way to prevent fireworks injuries?

• The safest way to prevent fireworks-related injuries is to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals.

Copyright © 2007 Yakima County Fire District No. 5