Berkeley juvenile severely injured in fireworks mishap
BERKELEY -- Berkeley police issued another warning about the dangers of illegal fireworks after a child suffered a severe injury in a fireworks mishap on July 4.
Police said dispatchers received a call at about 9:51 about a juvenile who needed medical attention after a firework exploded in their hand on the 1800 block of Fairview Street.
Officers arrived along with medics from the Berkeley Fire Department and found a juvenile "who sustained a significant injury to their hand," police said.
The victim was taken to the hospital; police did not disclose the nature of the person's hand injury. There were several people at the scene when officers arrived and police said a second juvenile had minor injuries but was not hospitalized.
"It's super concerning because, after COVID, we've seen this rise in people doing fireworks that are unregulated in their backyard and on the streets," said Rose Soffa Clarke, owner of Roses on Adeline, a restaurant bar she opened two months ago.
Her establishment is located just a block away from where the young person was hurt.
"It's so unfortunate that somebody was injured in such a bad way and it is really concerning," Clarke added.
"I think we all heard it last night, starting at 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. It's just a little bit crazy," Clarke said, explaining why she decided to close her business on the Fourth of July.
David, a local grocery store owner, made the same decision to close early.
"Yesterday, because of the holiday, I closed at 8:30 p.m. for the safety of me and my business," he said.
"This is a reminder that fireworks are both dangerous and illegal and can be life-threatening," police said in a press release.