Although we all know it’s not safe to play with fire, many of us can’t resist the appeal of setting off fireworks and sparklers at our family celebrations around the Fourth of July.
Almost two-thirds of parents of school-age children have fireworks at family celebrations, and so do roughly 2 in 5 parents of toddlers and preschoolers, according to a 2022 national poll.
But there are plenty of good reasons to leave fireworks to the professionals. In 2024, fireworks led to 11 deaths and sent about 14,700 people to the emergency room — a more than a 50 percent increase in injuries compared with the previous year— according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Of those ER visits, nearly 1,700 were caused by accidents involving sparklers.
“Every year around the Fourth of July, emergency departments see an increase in preventable accidents and injuries,” said Alison Haddock, MD, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), in a press release.
Summer celebrations also lead to a spike in wildfires: Almost twice as many wildfires are recorded on July 4th in the western United States compared with any other day of the year, according to one study.
Here are some precautions to keep you and your family, friends, and neighbors safe if your celebrations include setting off your own fireworks.
Buy fireworks and sparklers only from reputable, legal sellers, ACEP advises. Products with counterfeit safety seals may be more dangerous. And items wrapped in plain brown paper may be intended only for professional fireworks displays, not home use.
In case of fire, keep an extinguisher and a large bucket of water or hose nearby, ACEP suggests. Always soak fireworks and sparklers in water after use. Throwing them away when they’re dry can start fires — and they may be hot enough to start a fire even if they don’t look like they’re still burning.
This is especially important as climate change raises the risk of wildfires: Longer and more frequent droughts and heat waves can lead to dry vegetation, which can quickly go up in flames that spread rapidly.
Wide open spaces that are hard and flat are safest — dirt, sand, concrete, and stone are ideal staging areas. Avoid using fireworks too close to trees, cars, homes, or other structures that might catch fire. For many people this means the backyard isn’t a smart choice.
Many injuries happen to people who aren’t handling fireworks and sparklers themselves, says Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, the president of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Bystanders are especially at risk from bottle rockets, he says.
Fireworks injuries most often happen when users or bystanders don’t have time to get out of the way when fireworks go off too soon or move in an unexpected direction, says Sarah Clark, MPH, the codirector of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Light fireworks one at a time, point them away from people, and don’t attempt to reignite defective fireworks that malfunction or don’t go off, ACEP cautions.
Young children shouldn’t use fireworks or sparklers, and they also shouldn’t be standing right next to somebody who is. Older children may be ready to be closer to the action or handle sparklers when they can read, follow directions, and follow basic safety rules on any other day of the year, Clark says.
People may be lulled into a false sense of security when they buy fireworks that are legal where they live. Sparklers, for instance, can burn at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius and can quickly cause serious burns and ignite clothing, Dr. Smith cautions. Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.
For minor burns, run cool water — not ice or freezing cold water — over the area, then cover with a bandage, Clark says. MedlinePlus offers additional tips for treating a minor burn at home. With major burns or injuries to the eyes or head, go straight to the emergency room.
Fireworks and sparklers may be legal in many U.S. states, but they still pose serious safety risks, especially for young children.
When lighting fireworks or sparklers at home, keep a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby in case of fire and be mindful of people who may not be paying attention.
Treat minor burns with cool (not ice cold) water; more serious burns or injuries to the eyes or face merit a trip to the emergency room.
