When they’re exploding hundreds of feet overhead, in blooms of red, green, and white light, streams of sparks, and chest-pounding explosions, fireworks appear harmless. In fact, fireworks cause thousands of injuries and fires each year.
A Chinese cook is credited with inventing fireworks 2,000 years ago when he mixed charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter in his field kitchen. The mixture -- gunpowder -- burned. When contained in a bamboo tube, the mixture exploded. Nearly 1,000 years
later, a monk named Li Tian who lived in Liu Yang, Hunan Province, allegedly invented the firecracker to harness the explosive mixture in a usable form.
Italians were the first Europeans to use black powder to manufacture fireworks,
and other countries soon followed Italy’s lead. Queen Elizabeth allegedly created the
position of Fire Master of England to ensure that she’d have many shows to enjoy during her reign.
Amédée-François Frézier published his “Treatise on Fireworks” in 1706, emphasizing the recreational and ceremonial uses of fireworks over their military uses. The book became a standard text for fireworks makers.
Americans have used fireworks to celebrate Independence Day since 1777. This
tradition promises to endure into the future, but it is a tradition that requires great attention to safety.
Approximately 9,000 people are treated for injuries related to fireworks annually, and one-third of those patients are aged 15 and younger. When I was a child, I vividly remember when a “safe” firework jumped from the road where it had been ignited into my younger sister’s lap more than 20 feet away. She escaped the frightening encounter with a ground spinner without any physical injuries, but thousands of children and adults aren’t that lucky.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), half of those injuries are to arms, hands, legs, and feet. Nearly 3,000 injuries involved the eyes and other parts of the head. Injuries included burns, bruises, and cuts.
Injuries aren’t the only consequence of mishandling fireworks. According to the NFPA, fireworks ignited 1,900 structure fires and 500 vehicle fires in 2018. Fireworks also cause wildfires, which remains a significant threat in this region as our xeric ecosystems continue to dry under the hot summer sun.
Despite that risk, Colorado consumers continue to have access to fireworks that do not leave the ground: cone and cylindrical fountains, ground spinners, torch, and colored fire, dipped sticks, sparklers, snakes, glow worms, trick noisemakers, and some other novelties.
Those fireworks are legal to buy; check with local authorities on whether you can use them legally. Counties, cities, HOAs, and land management agencies may have restrictions.
All fireworks are dangerous despite their appearances. Sparklers, for example, burn at more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, easily igniting hair, clothing, and vegetation. They contribute to one-fifth of all fireworks injuries each year.
By Einar Jensen, Risk Reduction Specialist
South Metro Fire Rescue
