In 2017, at least eight people died and about 12,900 were injured badly enough to require medical
treatment after fireworks-related incidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission. And while the majority of these incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use
professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, thousands were from less
powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers.
Please see the FREAS SharePoint page under Safety for more information on this topic.
- More fires are reported on July 4 than any other day of the year, according to the National Fire
Protection Association. Each year, fireworks cause on average 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle
fires and nearly 17,000 other fires resulting in thousands of injuries. - Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks
• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision - Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
- Never light them indoors
- Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
- Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
- Never ignite devices in a container
- Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
- Soak unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
Better yet, grab a blanket and a patch of lawn, kick back and let the experts handle the show