Fireworks-related emergency department visits

Fireworks can be fun to watch, but when handled carelessly, they can send people to the emergency room. The fourth of July, or Independence Day in the United States, is the biggest day for such occurrences. The combination of beer and fireworks doesn’t always work out.

Based on data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, here’s what happened in 2024.

When Americans celebrate independence too hard

Fireworks-related injuries treated in emergency departments in 2024.

Most cases are burns and lacerations to the hands, such as:

“26-year-old male was drinking with friends, shooting off some fireworks when a firework went off in his left hand. Diagnosis: Closed head injury, partial thickness burn left index finger, partial thickness burn left thumb, partial thickness burn left middle finger.”

But there are plenty who got it worse, such as:

“20-year-old male was making a homemade firework which exploded in hand. Diagnosis: Complex traumatic amputation of left index finger through phalanx, traumatic amputation of middle finger open fracture right thumb.”

It’s all fun and games until someone loses a few fingers.

Here’s the full body part breakdown.

Most commonly hands are injured, then the face

Out of those who came in for fireworks-related injuries, these are the body parts that were affected.

The lesson: be careful when holding things that can explode. This is probably good advice outside the fourth of July, too.