Did You Know...

  • North Carolina emergency departments treat an average of 192 people annually for fireworks-related injuries, with roughly 72% occurring in July.
  • Fireworks cause thousands of injuries annually in the U.S., with recent data from 2024 showing 14,700 emergency room visits and 11 deaths.
  • Children under 5 years of age accounted for more than half of the total estimated injuries.
  • Handheld sparklers can burn at a temperature of 1,200 to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Fireworks started over 31,000 fires, including structure, vehicle, and outside fires.
  • Half of firework-related injuries seen at emergency rooms, were extremities: hand, finger, or leg.

Top Safety Tips

  • Leave fireworks to the professionals.
  • Keep pets indoors.
  • Use glow sticks, they glow in the dark and are a safe alternative to a sparkler.
  • Illegal Fireworks (Aerial/Explosive) 
June 19, 2020

The Dangers of Fireworks: Celebrate Safely this 4th of July

June 26, 2020

Michael's Story: A Real-Life Example of the Dangers of Fireworks

June 17, 2019

The Dangers of Fireworks

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This page was last modified on 01/27/2026