Report: Fireworks injuries across US skyrocket 25% since 2006, instances in Polk County few

LAKELAND — Fireworks-related injuries went up 25% across the nation between 2006 and 2021, according to recently released federal report. Meanwhile, Polk County public safety officials say 911 calls reporting the use of fireworks has been a bigger problem than fireworks-related injuries reported in Polk.

There were nine reported fireworks-related deaths in the United States last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 2021 Fireworks Annual Report released in June. Six of the deaths were associated with firework misuse, one death was associated with a launch malfunction and two were unknown circumstances. According to previous CPSC reports, there were six fireworks-related deaths in 2018, 20 in 2019, and 26 deaths in 2020.

"Essentially, we ask that people do not call 911 to report the use of fireworks," Polk County Sheriff's Office Media Relations Administrator Carrie Horstman said. "And we educate them about the state law."

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Last New Years Eve, the sheriff's office shared a post on Facebook informing the community that the PCSO 911 line is "intended for residents to report immediate emergencies, not to report the use of fireworks."

Horstman said deputies last responded to a 911 call for a fireworks-related injury in 2018 when a 35-year-old man in Lake Wales injured his left hand.

"[He] grabbed a mortar style firework in his left hand and waited for it to ignite. Which it did," The sheriff's office said about the incident on July 5, 2018. "EMS took him to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center for treatment."

Lakeland Police Chief Ruben Garcia said the agency receives a few calls each year from people reporting neighbors lighting fireworks on days surrounding holidays when it's only legal on the day of the designated holiday. Most fireworks are only permitted to be used during New Years Eve, New Years Day and Independence Day.

"The bigger issue for us is getting false shots-fired calls during the actual holiday where we have to spend resources to go out and confirm that it's not somebody shooting a gun and it is fireworks," Garcia said. "If folks take the time to look, it'd probably be pretty obvious to them that there are fireworks and not gunfire."

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Garcia said LPD has a duty to respond to every call and the department uses a large amount of resources responding to false shots-fired calls around New Years and The Fourth of July.

"There are only so many police cars on-duty so if we've got them all tied up chasing false calls and somebody really needs help, then those officers are out of pocket," Garcia said. "Its citizen's resources that we're wasting running these false calls."

He said adults between 20-30 years of age is the usual demographic historically breaking fireworks-related laws and possibly getting injured.

The CPSC said males made up 64% of fireworks related injuries in 2018 which decreased to 59% in 2021. An estimated 32% emergency department-treated fireworks-related injuries last year were burns which was an injury seen most common to hands and fingers. Bruises and cuts were 21% of the emergency department-treated injuries, according to the CPSC, most commonly seen on the head, face and ears.

The sheriff's office said it's important not to hold fireworks in your hand or have any part of your body over fireworks while lighting them, wear eye protection and don't carry fireworks in your pocket because friction could set them off.

More than 36% of the victims of fireworks related injuries in 2018 were under the age of 15, the CPSC report said. Children between the ages of 10 and 14 had the highest rate of fireworks related injuries in 2018 and only 8% of those with fireworks-related injuries that year were 45 or older.

Adults between 25 and 44 years old had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated fireworks-related injuries experienced in 2021 at about 32%, the CPSC reported. Children younger than 15-years-old accounted for 29% of the estimated injuries being the second highest rate found in the 2021 CPSC report.

"A general decrease is noted comparing the 2021 rates to the 2020 rates, except for children 5 to 14 years of age," CPSC said in the 2021 fireworks report. "which saw an increase from 3.3 injuries to 4.2 injuries per 100,000 people."

Sheriff's office officials said they advise that adults always supervise children when they're using firecrackers, rockets and sparklers.

"If you give kids sparklers, make sure they keep them outside and away from the face, clothing, and hair," PCSO Director of Communications Scott Wilder said. "Sparklers can reach 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit - hot enough to melt gold."

According to the CPSC report, an estimated 19,500 fires started by fireworks were reported to local fire departments in the US during 2018 and more than 28% of fires started by fireworks from 2014–2018 were reported on the Fourth of July.

Lakeland Fire Department Training Chief Matt Brown said he could only recall one fire to a duplex caused by fireworks about 10 years ago in the westside area of Lakeland.

"There is a statistically significant trend in estimated emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries from 2006 through 2021," CPSC said in the report. "This trend estimates an increase of 274 fireworks injuries per year."

The CPSC report went on to state Fireworks were involved with an estimated 11,500 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments last year increasing 2,400 cases from the 9,100 fireworks-related injuries reported in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2018. 8,500 of the fireworks-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments last year were between June 18 and July 18.

Polk County Emergency Management Director Paul Womble said there have been some injuries over the years but there are no burn bans issued by the county currently that would restrict the use of fireworks on July 4.

The sheriff's office said always point fireworks away from homes and keep them away from bushes, leaves and flammable substances. Sheriff's office officials said to light one firework at a time, not in glass or metal containers and never relight an extinguished firework.

"Don't allow kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event," Wilder said. "Some may still be ignited and can explode at any time."

Rebecca Lee covers public safety and courts for The Ledger. She can be reached at Rlee3@gannett.com. Find her on Twitter and Instagram at @RELReports.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Fireworks injuries increase 25% nationwide, few reported in Polk