Jun 28, 2021 3 min read

Around this time of year, Americans love things that go boom.

But medical and public safety personnel emphasize that handling fireworks improperly can land you in the emergency room.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s annual fireworks report released last year, there were 10,000 fireworks-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in 2019, with 73% of those injuries happening between June 21 and July 21 of that year. Nine people were killed mishandling fireworks. The sale of fireworks to consumers is legal in 29 states, and Pennsylvania joined their ranks in 2017. While setting off fireworks can liven a Fourth of July celebration, it can also lead to mishaps that can to a turn that celebration into a catastrophe or something close to it.

“We say it every year because it’s true: fireworks are not toys,” said Bruce Trego, the state’s fire commissioner.

In Pennsylvania, consumers can buy “Class C” fireworks. Those include bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles or any other fireworks that contain less than 50 milligrams of explosive material. Even though they can be readily purchased at roadside stands or specialty stores, users are asked to adhere to some ground rules when setting them off: they are not supposed to be set off on private or public property without the owner’s permission; fireworks cannot be set off from a vehicle or building, or be set off within 150 feet of an occupied structure; and cannot be set off when the owner is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The injuries that can be sustained from mishandling fireworks can be dire. Jenny Ziembicki, director of the Burn Center at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, said they have seen injuries that have not only involved severe burns from fireworks, but also fractures to the face and limbs. Children are frequently among those who end up injured, and she said the recovery time from burns can be painful and protracted.

However, Ziembicki said, “If you use some safety practices, you can reduce your risk of injury.”

Some of those practices include not allowing children to play with fireworks, not pointing the fireworks at another person and keeping a bucket of water or garden hose nearby in case of a fire. Other experts also advise being sensitive to neighbors and their pets, particularly if the neighbors are military veterans.

Roger Beadling, the police chief in Perryopolis, said his department has not had to deal with any calls having to do with injuries from fireworks, but does have to answer angry calls from residents around this time of year who are perturbed about fireworks being set off past their bedtime.

“We do get calls about people setting them off late at night,” Beadling said.