PROVIDENCE R.I. (WPRI) — Fourth of July fireworks will soon light up the night sky, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning people of the potential dangers.

A newly released report on the four weeks surrounding last year’s holiday shows just how dangerous fireworks can be.

“We found that there were at least eight people that died and an estimated 9,700 injured,” the CPSC’s Karla Crosswhite told 12 News.

The bottom line, according to Crosswhite, is that fireworks are explosives.

The report said 42% of emergency room visits in 2023 were burn-related, and the group that had the most hospital visits were teenagers between 15 and 19 years old.

An estimated 800 emergency visits were due firecrackers, while another 700 were from sparklers, which can burn extremely hot.

“Sparklers can burn at 2,000 degrees and that is as hot as a blow torch, which can burn even some metals,” Crosswhite explained.

The CPSC strongly recommends attending a public display instead of setting off fireworks at home.

If you do plan to use them at home, make sure to buy consumer-grade fireworks rather than professional ones, and always keep a hose or bucket of water handy.

“When you light a firework, you light them one at a time and move away quickly,” Crosswhite added.

She also said that if a firework doesn’t go off after it is lit, never try to relight it.

“That is known as a ‘dud.’ You want to douse that with water immediately,” Crosswhite said. “Don’t lean over it or try to pick it up.”

Once you’re done, douse the fireworks in water before throwing them away.

12 News has compiled a list of local fireworks shows, parades and other Fourth of July events here .

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