Glittering firework displays across the nation will mark the 250th birthday of the United States. But as a stifling heat wave spreads and wildfires rage, experts advise revelers to be on alert against severe — and potentially fatal — firework-related injuries.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported an estimated 13,000 people experienced firework-related injuries and 15 people died last year — a 36% increase in fatalities from 2024. Fifteen to 24-year-olds accounted for 31% of all injuries, representing the hardest-hit age group.
Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency physician at the University of Rochester Medicine in New York, noted that younger generations may “give in to peer pressure … or silly challenges.”
Leaving fireworks to the professionals is the best way to enjoy the fireworks without getting injured, Murray noted.
“When accidents occur, they can destroy part of a person’s face or their eyes,” she said. “We need to be a little bit blunt with some of the consequences that we definitely see in emergency departments every year.”
