The Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Office of the Fire Marshall issued a stern warning to families for the Fourth of July:
“The best way to stay safe from fireworks is to not use them! Attend a public fireworks display put on by professionals.”
Local leaders joined representatives from law enforcement and emergency responders to share that message concerning folks who want to set off fireworks.They shared statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Fire Protection Association( NFPA), and U.S. Fire Administration to hit this message home.
Fireworks started an estimated 19,500 fires in 2023, with 28% of those fires occurring on July 4th.
Sparklers burn at 1200-2000 degrees.
Glass melts at 900 degrees
Wood Burns at 575 degrees
Cakes bake at 315 degrees
Water boils at 212 degrees
Matches burn at 800 degrees
In 2023 there were 8 deaths directly related to fireworks.
Five from misuse
Two from malfunction
One was an uninvolved individual
In 2023 there were 9,700 reported injuries related to fireworks.
The expected number is probably closer to 12,000.
Many injuries are not reported due to fear of punishment. This number has gone up approximately 561 each year since 2008.
74% of all firework injuries occur in the weeks before July 4th:
The injuries seen in ERs from fireworks break down as follows:
35% Hands/Fingers
22% Head, Face, Ears and Neck
19% Eyes
11% Trunk and other parts
8% Legs
5% Arms
Most injuries occurred as a result of misuse or malfunction
800 from firecrackers
700 from sparklers
Suffolk County Statistics from 2023:
Ten Emergency Room consults
One Burn Center admittance
15 were referred to the Burn Center from other hospitals
Suffolk County averages one fatality every 5 years.
In 2023, over 30% of selected and tested fireworks products were found to contain noncompliant components, including fuse violations, the presence of prohibited chemicals and pyrotechnic materials overload.