Cary event warns families about sparkler dangers before July Fourth

At Cary Fire Station No. 9, state and burn-center leaders debuted a new sparkler-safety documentary centered on Ginger Peters, a survivor of a sparkler injury, at 11 a.m. Tuesday at 1427 Walnut Street. The Save-A-Life recognition event took place before July Fourth weekend.

The NC Office of State Fire Marshal and the NC Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals focused the campaign on Peters’ recovery. State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor said sparklers are often mistaken for something harmless because they are sold in stores and handed to children, but they are dangerous enough to “change a family’s life forever.” The state fire marshal’s office puts handheld sparklers at between 1,200 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

North Carolina emergency departments treat an average of 192 people a year for fireworks-related injuries, and about 72% of those injuries happen in July, according to state safety guidance. Fireworks started more than 31,000 fires, and half of fireworks-related emergency-room injuries are to extremities such as hands, fingers or legs. Nationally, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated 13,000 fireworks injuries in 2025 and 15 reported fireworks-related deaths, including about 1,300 sparkler-related emergency-room injuries. Burns made up 38% of fireworks-related ER visits. NC Health News data show children ages 5 to 17 accounted for 21% of fireworks-related emergency-department visits in North Carolina, and pediatric burn doctors say injuries to fingers, hands and eyes are the ones that stick with them most.