Each July 4th, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires, and even death.
Watch: Attending a professional fireworks show may not be possible this year, but that doesn't change the fact that consumer fireworks are dangerous.
You can also download the fireworks safety tip sheet in Spanish. (PDF)
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A three-year old boy, Michael Shannon, was killed when a legal consumer firework struck him in the head during a July Fourth family celebration. Michael's parents and sister talk about their memories of Michael, the pain they've endured in the years since his death, and their hope that parents will understand the danger of consumer fireworks. Share this video.
NFPA's Dan Doofus urges people not to use consumer fireworks because they are too dangerous. Fireworks are responsible for thousands of fires and injuries each year. Share this video.
Fireworks fire & injury facts
- Fireworks started an estimated 19,500 fires in 2018, including 1,900 structure fires, 500 vehicle fires, and 17,100 outside and other fires. These fires caused five deaths, 46 civilian injuries, and $105 million in direct property damage.
- In 2018, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 9,100 people for fireworks related injuries; half of those injuries were to the extremities and 34% were to the eye or other parts of the head. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for more than one-third (36%) of the estimated 2018 injuries. These injury estimates were obtained or derived from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2018 Fireworks Annual Report by Yongling Tu and Jason Ng.
Source: NFPA’s
Fireworks Fires and Injuries report