Sparklers are fun, but very hot. They send people to the emergency department with burns every year. (iStock)
By: Jessica Pasley

The hot water heater setting to prevent scalding is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sparklers burn at temperatures ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many people think sparklers are a safe type of fireworks, but they are responsible for most fireworks-related injuries in children 5 years old and younger. Sparklers burn hot enough to melt some metals and can quickly ignite clothing and cause severe burns to the face, hands and feet.

Anne Wagner, MD

“It only takes five seconds to get a burn with 120-degree temperature water,” said Anne Wagner, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery and Director of the Vanderbilt Burn Center, which serves both children and adults. “Sparklers have sulfur, which can lead to chemical burns. Children have thinner skin than adults. Oftentimes we see children with burns to the soles of the foot because sparklers are dropped on the ground.

“When you think about a sparkler, you are dealing with a scalding, hot piece of metal.”

While fireworks can be enjoyable to watch, physicians at Vanderbilt Health caution that they can be extremely dangerous.

“My biggest recommendation is to enjoy an awesome fireworks show from a distance and keep kids away from danger,” said Wagner, who has been on call for the Vanderbilt Burn Center for the last three years during the Fourth of July.

Every year, thousands of people sustain injuries that require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents, with many of the injuries to children and young adults. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 2024, 14,700 people were treated in emergency rooms throughout the country from fireworks injuries, with 11 deaths reported.

Nationally, sparkler injuries accounted for 1,700 ER visits in 2024.

Most injuries were burns (37%), while the most frequently injured body parts were hands and fingers (36%), and head, face and ears (22%).

Additionally, fireworks start more than 31,000 fires each year.

On July 4, 2025, at Vanderbilt Health there were:

  • 15 pediatric consults (managed all outpatient) at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
  • Seven adult fireworks-related admissions to Vanderbilt University Hospital 

“I am not sure what it would take to get the message across that fireworks can be very dangerous,” said Elizabeth Slater, MD, Associate Medical Director for Pediatric Burn at Monroe Carell. “When we see some of the injuries, we often wonder how any of this is even legal.

“Seeing the severity of an injury and understanding the impact it causes has really sealed the level of risk for me, but every year our unit fills up.” 

Vanderbilt Eye Institute physicians want revelers to be mindful of injuries to the eye, which can include chemical burns with cornea involvement, lid lacerations, orbital floor fractures (blowout fractures) and ruptured globes (meaning the eye was cut open).

Eye experts stress that protective goggles or clear, shatterproof protective glasses are recommended when handling fireworks.

A common scene

Sparkler users swing the flammable objects around or use them as swords to play with their friends, and a spark flies off causing serious injury, which can result in devastating vision loss.

According to emergency room physicians, the injuries treated can range from burns to eye trauma to blast injuries that can lead to amputations of fingers.

“Fireworks can cause significant injury in just an instant,” said Meredith Montgomery, MD, a clinical fellow in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Monroe Carell. “They can permanently change a quality of life forever.”

The CPSC offers the following tips:

  • Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
  • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear.
  • Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands.
  • Only use fireworks away from people, houses and flammable materials.
  • Only light one firework at a time, and maintain a safe distance after lighting.
  • Do not try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks.
  • Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding.
  • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off, or in case of fire.