How To Avoid Burning Your Eyes And Blowing Off Your Fingers With 4th Of July Fireworks

If 2025 is a typical year, about 2,000 Americans — more than half of them children — will suffer eye injuries when setting off 4th of July fireworks.

Fireworks can cause severe and sometimes blinding eye injuries ranging from chemical and thermal burns, rupturing of the eyeball and corneal abrasions, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

These pretty displays can also kill. In 2024, 11 people died in fireworks-related injuries, according to new data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission report.

Most Don’t Protect Their Eyes

Most Americans don’t wear eye protection when lighting firecrackers, despite the potential damage to their eyes, according to a recent study published in the American Medical Association journal Ophthalmology.

In fact, a national survey commissioned by the academy found that nearly three times more U.S. adults say they wear eye protection for home repair projects or cleaning than when handling fireworks.

And while only 11 percent of Americans would let kids age 5 to 10 light birthday candles, more than half said children should be allowed to use sparklers and other fireworks that can cause severe injury and eye damage.

“These results seem to suggest that people view tub scrubbing and candles as more of a threat to their eyes than fireworks,” Dr. Philip Rizzuto, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said in a news release. “It’s very concerning to me as an ophthalmologist because I’ve seen how devastating consumer fireworks can be to someone’s vision. I sincerely hope this survey puts the risk of fireworks injuries in a new perspective and encourages more people to take precautions.”

Bystanders, especially children, are at high risk of injury. Even children and people not handling fireworks may be in as much danger as the people actually lighting fireworks, according to the Academy of Ophthalmology.

It’s Not Just Your Eyes

Eleven people died last year in fireworks mishaps and about 14,700 people were injured, most involving misuse or fireworks misfires and malfunctions, according to the latest fireworks safety report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The increase in firework-related casualties was striking, with a 38 percent increase in deaths and a 52 percent increase in injuries compared with 2023. About 1,700 emergency room visits last year were attributed to sparklers, which can reach temperatures of 2,000 degrees.

According to the report, the most frequently injured body parts were hands and fingers (36 percent) and injuries to the head, face and ears (22 percent). Burns were the most common injury, making up about 37 percent of all emergency room visits.

“Behind these numbers are real people, real families — and often, preventable incidents,” CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman said in a news release. “Fireworks injuries don’t just happen on the Fourth of July. We urge everyone to celebrate responsibly — because safety must always come first.”

Follow These Safety Tips

Below are some tips to keep at-home fireworks shows as safe as possible:

• Wear safety glasses when handling fireworks.
• Before you start, fill a bucket with water or keep a garden hose nearby so you can quickly put out any unintended fires.
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands.
• Don’t light them indoors.
• Never allow young children to light fireworks, and make adults supervise older children.
• Don’t let people who are drunk or under the influence of drugs set off fireworks.
• Make sure you’re a safe distance from people, structures and flammable materials when you light them.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Don’t light more than one firework at a time, and maintain a safe distance after lighting.
• Don’t ignite fireworks in a container.
• If a firework malfunctions, don’t attempt to re-light it or handle it.
• Soak both spent and used fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding.

Related

• Fireworks Etiquette To Keep The Neighborhood Happy: Patch’s Exclusive Block Talk
• What You Can Do To Make 4th Of July Fireworks Less Terrifying For Your Veteran Neighbors With PTSD
• Following These Safety Tips Can Make Summer 2025 More Fun