Fourth of July: Safety around fireworks

With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning people about the importance of fireworks safety.

The agency put on a demonstration on the National Mall Wednesday.

They want to show how quickly things can go wrong when fireworks aren’t handled properly.

New data reveals, just more than 9,000 fireworks-related injuries were treated at emergency rooms in 2018.

62 percent of those injuries happened during the month surrounding the Fourth of July Holiday–June 22nd to July 22nd.

Experts also say more than half of injuries in small children were caused by sparklers.

Dr. Sarah Combs said, “We’re seeing these children under five. Now children of those age, they explore the environment about them by touch and feel. So even if a nearby adult is the one holding the sparkler, all it takes is that split second for a toddler to reach out towards that shiny, alluring flame and it’s all over.”