As Independence Day approaches, medical and public safety experts on the Treasure Coast are urging residents to think twice before lighting fireworks at home, warning that even small sparklers can cause life-altering injuries.
Dr. Richard Harrison, a board-certified hand surgeon with Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute in Melbourne, said the injuries he treats each year following the Fourth of July run the gamut from burns to permanent disability.
"The stuff we see from orthopedics involves burns and soft tissue injuries, as well as nerve damage, but it can get as bad as loss of fingers or even hands," Harrison said.
Harrison, who is also a surgeon in the Army Reserve, said eye injuries are among the most devastating cases he encounters.
"Eyeball injuries can be devastating, with permanent loss of vision," he said.
He cautioned that no firework is entirely risk-free.
"The devastating injuries that we have are from the explosive fireworks — anything from the larger firecrackers that get held in the hand or the mortars that go off and people get too close to them," Harrison said. "But even sparklers can get very hot and can cause severe burns, both in the hand as well as around the eyes."
Harrison recommends avoiding alcohol and drugs while handling fireworks, closely supervising children, keeping a safe distance, and having water on hand in case something goes wrong.
"Eye protection can be obtained very, very inexpensively from the hardware store," he said. "That can be the difference between a lifetime without vision or not."
He also advised treating any firework that fails to ignite as if it's still active.
"Just like with any weapons, once it's lit, you've got to expect that it's live until it's not," Harrison said. "If it doesn't go off, douse it with water if you're going to get close to it."
Richard Marini, deputy fire chief and fire marshal for Indian River County, said the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to skip the backyard display altogether.
"We recommend [people] go watch a commercial professional show, because you'll actually get a better show," Marini said. "It's a ton safer for you."
For residents who still want to celebrate at home, Marini said only sparklers should be used. Indian River County prohibits launching fireworks into the air unless the person is a licensed technician.
"In the yard, we only recommend sparklers, not the ones you can go to a business and buy that launch into the air," Marini said. "We don't recommend any fireworks that launch into the air. We recommend you go to a commercial show for that."
He added that sparklers cover more than just the handheld variety.
"Sparklers consist of, you know, not just a handheld thing the kids use," he said. "It could be the ones that just light up on the ground and they sparkle in the air a little bit, off the ground."
Marini said anyone using sparklers should keep water nearby in case of small fires.
"It's always good to have a water source close, in case grass catches on fire or something minor like that," he said.
While fireworks-related injuries have been a concern nationally, Marini said Indian River County has avoided serious incidents in recent years.
"Fortunately, we haven't had any injuries [or] fatalities in our community in Indian River County related to fireworks," he said. "We've had some minor grass fires and brush fires started by fireworks, but injury-wise, we've been fortunate enough not to have anything in this county for years."
Both Harrison and Marini said a little caution can go a long way toward keeping the holiday celebratory rather than tragic.