Artwork by Zachary Christian, a career firefighter, husband, and father. He is a self-taught cartoonist, and this is his second published artwork.
By Lana Pierce
Fireworks kill only 8-10 Americans annually, but they injure and maim thousands—especially in the South. January and July see the most injuries. July alone often accounts for almost 2/3 of a year’s total reported injuries. (There is no telling how many injuries go unreported!)
Despite increased public service education, firework-related injury numbers have steadily increased over the last 20 years. A standard bottle rocket burns around 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit—burning skin instantaneously and easily igniting clothing and hair.
It’s not just the handler who risks injury. Just under half of injuries are sustained by bystanders. For both handlers and bystanders, most injuries occur in the face, with hand injuries following second.
It shouldn’t surprise parents much to learn that nearly 90% of those injured are under the age of 34, and almost half of those are sustained by children 18 and younger. As one might expect, ages 15-19 account for most injuries, but in recent years, children aged four or younger showed the highest rate of ER visits. (Children at this age have a higher body surface ratio, so the same burn to a 4-year-old and a 16-year-old may require vastly different treatments.)
Boys claim a staggering 75% of all injuries—no surprise to us parents of young men! Instances of unsafe handling, intentional mishandling (think “bottle rocket wars”), and unintended mishandling (a firework shoots in the wrong direction by accident) can drop dramatically by having sober adults over the age of 30 as supervisors. (As almost half of all firework deaths and many injuries reportedly involve alcohol, it is important that someone remain sober to supervise handling.)
Remember, it is against the law to shoot fireworks in city limits, so check for local private and public shows!
(Statistics for this article are taken from multiple reports, including the 2023 Fireworks Annual Report, a publication of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.)
Capt. Pierce is a 20-year veteran of the North Little Rock Fire Department.
