Fireworks deaths spiked last year: How to stay safe this July Fourth

After an increase in the number of fireworks-related fatalities in 2025, experts are again warning the public to play it safe around fireworks ahead of July Fourth celebrations.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 15 deaths and 13,000 injuries in the United States attributed to either the misuse of or malfunctions with fireworks. Of those, 1,300 emergency-room-treated injuries were caused by sparklers.

An analysis of five years of fireworks injuries by the Atlanta-based legal firm Monge & Associates further revealed injury trends in emergency-room-visit data collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a repository managed by the safety commission:

• Roughly 29% of all fireworks injuries result in severe injuries, including third-degree burns, amputations and blindness.
• About 55% of injuries happen to people actively handling fireworks, and nearly a quarter of the injuries are to bystanders.
• One-third of the injured were younger than 18, and nearly two-thirds of those were injuries from sparklers.

When do fireworks injuries occur?

About 68% of all fireworks injuries occur in July; July Fourth is the most injury-prone day, with 27% of total injuries. New Year's Day is the second-largest with 5.5% of total injuries.

The days leading up to and following July Fourth account for 8 of the 10 most injury-prone days.

Annual fireworks-related deaths and injuries by year

Last year, the number of fireworks-related deaths rose to 15, four more than recorded in 2024, according to CPSC data. That number is still under the record 26 deaths in 2020 at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, when injuries also peaked at 15,600.

Injuries in 2025, however, dropped 12% from the 2024 total.

What body parts are commonly injured by fireworks?

Of the 13,004 injuries recorded in 2025, hands and fingers were the most injured part of the body, followed by the face and ears. In the previous five years, more than half of the injuries were thermal burns consistent with "touching a lit sparkler or being hit by a firework explosion," according to the study.

U.S. fireworks sales, 1998 to 2025

According to figures from the American Pyrotechnics Association, spending on consumer-grade fireworks in the United States rose to $2.3 billion last year, and spending on professional display fireworks rose to $650 million, continuing its growth from the 2020 low in the COVID-19 pandemic when public gatherings were limited.

How to stay safe with fireworks

The CPSC offers these tips for using fireworks safely:

• Never allow children to play with or light fireworks, including sparklers.
• Make sure the fireworks you're using are legal in your area or municipality before using them.
• Keep water or a hose nearby in case of fire or an accident.
• Move back quickly after lighting fireworks.
• Do not try to relight or retrieve fireworks that have not fully ignited.
• Do not use fireworks while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

SOURCES: Monge & Associates study of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fireworks deaths spiked last year: How to stay safe this July Fourth

Reporting by Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 3:01 AM.