Firework Injuries

Fireworks are pyrotechnic devices that produce light, sound, smoke, and colors as they combust. Powered by gunpowder and chemistry, when specific chemicals are burned they emit colors at differing wavelengths, creating colorful firework displays. During the pandemic, when professional fireworks shows were often canceled, it fueled an uptick in consumer firework usage—and injuries.

That trend of personal firework use has continued. Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicate that in 2023, there were 9,700 injuries—a number that rose 52% in 2024 to 14,700. On top of those injuries, 11 people in the US also died from firework accidents in 2024. What's more, federal data indicates that firework imports increased by around 19% from 2023 to 2024.

Firework injuries often affect the hands, fingers, face, ears, and head. Many states and localities have lax or rarely enforced regulations around fireworks, which has supported the proliferation of consumer use. Expert advice for handling fireworks more safely includes never using alcohol or drugs while using fireworks, purchasing only legal fireworks (which include warning labels), lighting the devices one at a time, and never picking up or trying to relight a firework that didn't fully ignite.