MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, medical professionals warn that the holiday also brings a predictable surge in emergency room visits for serious hand injuries.
According to B. Seth Powers, a certified hand therapist and assistant professor in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, fireworks-related injuries spike around the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve, often leaving patients with burns, fractures, or permanent damage to their hands and fingers.
“Teens aged 15-19 have the highest rate of ER visits related to fireworks injuries, while children aged 5-9 have the second-highest rate,” Powers said.
The increase in injuries coincides with millions of Americans purchasing consumer fireworks for backyard celebrations. While many incidents involve minor burns, medical professionals say some injuries can have life-altering consequences.
Hand injuries often require long recovery
Powers said hand therapists regularly treat patients injured while mishandling fireworks or when devices malfunction unexpectedly.
“In hand therapy, we see an increase in fireworks injuries around the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve,” Powers said. “These injuries range from hand and finger burns to more severe cases, such as multiple fractures or amputations of fingers when a firework detonates in a hand.”
Unlike injuries to other parts of the body, hand injuries can affect nearly every aspect of daily life. Simple activities such as dressing, cooking, driving, typing, and returning to work may become difficult or impossible during recovery.
“Hand injuries often result in decreased function and difficulty completing daily tasks,” Powers said. “Depending on the severity of the injury, individuals may require a lengthy rehabilitation period before they can resume their activities of daily living or return to work.”
Burns can be more serious than they appear
Even injuries that initially seem minor can become serious if left untreated.
“If people sustain a fireworks injury, they should go to an urgent care facility or the emergency room to be assessed for the injury’s severity,” Powers said. “Even if the injury only results in burns, these can be very severe and lead to infections or significant scarring that can limit the movement of the hand.”
Medical experts note that severe burns can damage skin, muscles, tendons, and nerves, potentially leading to long-term impairment.
Children face elevated risk
National injury data consistently show that young people account for a significant share of fireworks-related emergency room visits.
Because children may not fully understand the risks of fireworks, Powers said adult supervision is critical during holiday celebrations.
He recommends that children never handle consumer fireworks and that families maintain a safe viewing distance whenever fireworks are used.
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How to prevent fireworks injuries
Powers advises families to take several precautions when using consumer fireworks:
- Never allow children to play with or handle fireworks.
- Never relight or pick up fireworks that have malfunctioned.
- Never hold fireworks in your hand.
- Never place any part of your body directly over a firework while lighting the fuse.
- Keep a safe distance when viewing fireworks.
- Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby.
- Saturate used fireworks with water before placing them in the trash.
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Professional displays remain the safest choice
While consumer fireworks remain popular during Independence Day celebrations, Powers said professionally managed displays offer a safer alternative.
“I encourage people to attend local fireworks shows where professionals handle the fireworks,” he said.
As communities across West Virginia prepare for Fourth of July celebrations, medical professionals hope greater awareness will help reduce preventable injuries and emergency room visits linked to holiday fireworks.
For many patients, the consequences of a momentary mistake can last far beyond the holiday weekend.
Allyson Kennedy, communications specialist at the WVU School of Medicine, contributed to this story.