Westview-Fairforest Fire Department hopes everyone enjoy the July 4th Holiday! Our Independence Day Holiday means so much to us all. But with the celebration comes the Fireworks that can be so dangerous if handled incorrectly.
FIREWORKS FIRE AND INJURY FACTS
>> Fireworks started an estimated 31,302 fires in 2022, including 3,504 structure fires, 887 vehicle fires, 26,492 outside fires, and 418 unclassified fires. These fires caused an estimated six civilian deaths, 44 civilian injuries and $109M in direct property damage. (Note: Total may not equal sum because of rounding error.)
>> In 2022, U.S hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 10,200 people for fireworks related injuries; Over half of those injuries were to the extremities (29% hands and fingers, 19% legs, 5% arms) and 35% were to the eyes or other parts of the head.
>> Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 28% of the estimated 2022 injuries. These injury estimates were obtained or derived from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2022 – see the link below.
https://www.cpsc.gov/s3f…/2022-Fireworks-Annual-Report.pdf
A Family’s Tragedy with Consumer Fireworks:
A three-year old boy, Michael Shannon, was killed when a legal consumer firework struck him in the head during a July Fourth family celebration. Michael’s parents and sister talk about their memories of Michael, the pain they’ve endured in the years since his death, and their hope that parents will understand the danger of consumer fireworks.
Westview-Fairforest Fire Department wishes you all a very Happy 4th of July Holiday and please be safe!