Teen's fingers partially amputated in Lauderhill firework explosion
FORT LAUDERDALE - A teen was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center early Wednesday morning after he was serious injured in a firework explosion in Lauderhill.
"The injuries were to the right hand, partial amputation of all five fingers. He did receive burns to his chest and face as well, with a laceration to his head from the explosion," said Lauderhill Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Gonzalez.
Lauderhill Fire Rescue said the 13-year-old appears to have been attempting to light a mortar-type of firework in the area of NW 12th Place and 33rd Avenue when it happened.
"These are high grade mortar-type fireworks where they drop a ball, you could say a mortar ball, it would fly up into the air, they would light it and it flies up in the air," said Gonzalez.
The teen's cousin said the explosion while they were cleaning up.
"When I was getting out of the car, he was picking everything up, everybody was sweeping everything in the road and picking everything up and by the time I could even get out of the car it exploded in his hand," said Jakara Williams.
"For sure it was a faulty firework because he didn't light anything," he added. "That's why you've got to be careful where they buy their fireworks from, a lot of these are probably hand made and they were faulty."
"The family heard the boom, came out, and saw he had fallen to the ground. They treated him first," said Lauderhill Fire Rescue inspector Sheniqua Johnson. "They walked him to the front and wrapped his hands with a t-shirt. Our units arrived and took over care of the patient."
Lauderdale Fire Rescue refers to this type of injury as a blast injury.
"Those mortar-type fireworks definitely are like a blast, an explosion. So when someone is injured, like the minor, it's a blast injury," said Johnson.
Lauderhill Fire Marshall Matthew Newman said this is a life-changing injury.
"This is someone whose life is going to be forever changed, they're not going to have the same quality of life or the same capabilities they had prior to doing this," he said.
Thousands of fireworks-related injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms across the country each year. Nearly 74 percent of firework-related injuries happen between June 18 and July 18.
Around 10,200 people visited ER departments for these injuries in 2022, according to the CPSC report. That number is down from 2021 when about 15,600 people visited the emergency room for fireworks-related injuries.
Firecrackers tend to be the leading cause of emergency room visits. Most often those injured are teens using store-bought fireworks, according to the state's health department.
There were at least 11 reported deaths linked to fireworks last year, which the commission reported was down from 15 deaths in 2021.