4th Of July Fireworks Safety: How To Prevent Tragic Outcomes

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Fireworks, “by their nature, are hazardous,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission states every year when issuing its annual report on the immensely popular 4th of July activity that results in the deaths of an average of at least seven Americans every year.

Those looking to celebrate the upcoming holiday in Alabama can take into account the damage, both to human lives and property, that fireworks and related explosives have caused before shooting them off in 2021.

The commission reported 12 deaths from fireworks-related incidents in 2019, and the agency’s most recent report said the actual number is likely more. That’s above the 7.9 fireworks deaths per year the country averaged from 2004-2019, the commission said.

Among the at least 12 fireworks-related deaths reported nationally in 2019 was a 15-year-old boy who police reports said was lighting a homemade firework device on the 4th of July when it detonated, according to the commission. The same day, a 48-year-old man died after getting hit in the chest by a damaged artillery shell firework he was holding close to his chest.

Firework fatalities from the year before include a 16-year-old Florida boy who picked up a lit mortar tube just before it exploded, and a 49-year-old Texas man who launched artillery shells from a device on his shoulder, the commission said.

Men are injured, and die, from fireworks about twice as often as women, data from the commission shows.

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Sparklers caused about 900 of the around 7,300 fireworks injuries reported between June 21 and July 21, 2019, alone, according to the commission’s data, with firecrackers causing the next highest number of wounds with around 800.

In all of 2019, about 10,000 fireworks injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms across the country, according to the commission.

Fireworks-related injuries can cause permanent damage, as is the case with Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul. The two-time Super Bowl champion has permanent damage in his right hand after blowing off part of his fingers while lighting off a firework on the 4th of July in 2015.

Accidents caused by lighting fireworks can be costly, too. The National Fire Protection Agency reported $105 million in direct property damage in 2018, a year in which about 19,500 fires started by fireworks were reported to local fire departments across the country.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued these tips to prevent fireworks-related tragedies: Insert local authority’s tips here instead, if available.

• Do not allow young children to play with fireworks. Sparklers, a firework often considered by many to be the ideal “safe” device for the young, burn at very high temperatures and should not be handled by young children. Children may not understand the danger involved with fireworks and may not act appropriately while using them or in the event of an emergency.
• Older children should be permitted to use fireworks only under close adult supervision. Do not allow any running or horseplay.
• Set off fireworks outdoors in a clear area, away from houses, dry leaves, grass and other flammable materials.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies and for pouring on fireworks that fail to ignite or explode.
• Do not try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Never light fireworks in a container, especially a glass or metal container.
• Keep unused fireworks away from firing areas.
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place.
• Check instructions for special storage directions.
• Observe local laws.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over a firework while lighting it.
• Do not experiment with homemade fireworks.