Archway 25th Anniversary Fireworks, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
NEBRASKA — Lighting off fireworks on Independence Day is an American tradition.
However, if done improperly, it can lead to injury, property damage and even death. The National Safety Council Nebraska lists some firework safety tips to follow this holiday season.
Consumer fireworks may only be possessed, used or discharged by a person 16 years of age or older; provided, that a person 12 years of age or older and less than 16 years of age may possess, use or discharge consumer fireworks, but only when in the immediate presence of and under the direct supervision of an adult 19 years of age or older, according to NFPA.
A variety of fireworks may be sold across Nebraska; however, there are some restrictions. Fireworks sold at Nebraska stands must be legal in Nebraska. It is against the law to transport illegal fireworks into the state. For a full list of illegal fireworks, visit Nebraska State Fire Marshal site.
The Nebraska State Fire Marshal states permissible fireworks, which include sparklers, foundations, torches, cones, aerial shells, cannot exceed 50 milligrams of explosive composition.
Display fireworks are for public exhibitions and these firecrackers cannot exceed 130 milligrams of explosives and aerial shells cannot exceed more than 40 milligrams.
Injury can result from improper use of fireworks, the NFPA has statistics listed on their website.
In 2024, there were 11 reported fireworks-related deaths, most involving misuse and device misfire/malfunctions. An estimated 14,700 people were injured by fireworks last year – a sharp increase of about 38 percent in deaths and about 52 percent in injuries respectively compared to 2023.
There were an estimated 1,700 emergency room treated injuries in 2024 involving sparklers.
Adults ages 25 to 44 accounted for the largest share of reported injuries (32 percent), followed by people ages 15 to 24 (24 percent). The most frequently injured body parts were hands and fingers (36 percent) and head, face, and ears (22 percent).
Burns were the most common injury, making up 37 percent of all emergency room visits.
According to the Nebraska State Fire Marshal, the most common body part injured from fireworks is the eyes and hands, lesser so are the legs and face. The most common injuries were second degree burns, followed by first degree burns and abrasions.
The most common reasons for injury are a person holding the device during discharge or they were too close to a discharging firework.
The age groups which were injured the most in Nebraska in 2018 were 11 to 19 year olds, followed by 20-29 year olds. Males were injured at a greater rate than females.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission released an annual report about injuries and deaths related to fireworks in 2019.
CPSC staff received reports of eight non-occupational fireworks-related deaths during 2023. Five of the deaths were associated with firework misuse; two deaths were associated with a device misfire/malfunction; and the circumstances surrounding one incident are unknown.
The CPSC went into detail about the circumstances of some of the deaths.
In July, a 17-year-old male was fatally injured in a fireworks explosion. During a party at a residential home, the victim was holding a mortar style firework in their hand while lighting it, leading to an explosion that burned the victim’s hands, face, chest, and arms.
The victim then fell back onto the deck of the residence. Emergency services were called and transported the victim to the hospital where the victim was pronounced dead. The official cause of death was recorded as “blunt force trauma to torso”.
In July, a 48-year-old male was fatally injured from a fireworks incident at home. The victim was attempting to light a modified commercial-grade firework. The firework was intended to be denotated electronically, but the victim had modified the firework to detonate via a homemade mortar tube.
Before attempting to light the firework, the victim cut the wick in half, causing the firework to explode immediately after being lit.
In July, a 26-year-old male was fatally injured in a fireworks explosion. The victim was drinking and socializing at a friend’s home and came across a firework in the homeowner’s shed. The victim placed the mortar-style firework against his chest before igniting it.
The firework exploded, leaving a hole in the victim’s chest. Emergency services were called, but the victim succumbed to his injury and was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was ruled as “blunt force injuries due to a firework explosion”
According to the CPSC report, fireworks were involved with an estimated 9,700 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2023. Of the 6,400 estimated fireworks-related injuries sustained, 67 percent were to males and 33 percent were to females.
There were an estimated 800 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers and 700 with sparklers.
There were an estimated 1,000 emergency department-treated injuries associated with firecrackers.
Of these, an estimated 33 percent were associated with small firecrackers, an estimated 13 percent with illegal firecrackers, and an estimated 54 percent with firecrackers for which there was no specific information.
Approximately 81 percent of the victims were treated at the hospital emergency department and then released. An estimated 17 percent of patients were treated and transferred to another hospital, or admitted to the hospital.
The CPSC report concluded, “typical causes of injuries were as follows: misuse of fireworks; errant flight paths; tip-overs; early ignitions; and blowout.”
The NFPA lists the following firework safety tips,
- Only use fireworks where they are legal. Only use fireworks that are legal where you are shooting them, and be sure you are shooting on dates that are legal in your city. Don’t import fireworks from another state or city to use locally – they may not be legal where you are. Buy locally to be sure fireworks are both legal and safe.
- Use fireworks outdoors only. This includes sparklers and snakes. All fireworks burn, and can quickly start a house fire. When outdoors, be sure there is enough room to point fireworks away from spectators, houses, buildings and flammable materials.
- Use launching fireworks in open areas only to ensure they don’t land on top of buildings and houses. Especially those with natural (cedar) type shingles.
- Always pre-plan to have water handy, whether that is a bucket or a hose.
- Have a first aid kit ready and waiting.
- Keep young children away from fireworks – even sparklers! Children using fireworks should be at least 12 years old, and always closely supervised. 20 percent of fireworks injuries to children are caused by sparklers.
- Use fireworks the way they were intended. Follow the lighting instructions on the package. Don’t combine them.
- Don’t try to relight duds. Wait at least 20 minutes before handling a dud, then soak it in water before disposing of the dud.
- Use a “designated shooter” who is alcohol free and wearing safety glasses. Light one device at a time, and keep a safe distance once a firework is lit. Don’t light fireworks in containers.
- Don’t allow running or horseplay by anyone near fireworks.
- Don’t use fireworks while consuming alcoholic beverages.
- Always clean up after you are done celebrating.
