Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company is sharing some statistics this 4th of July.  Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and nearly 17,000 and other fires. These fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and an average of $43 million in direct property damage.

In 2017, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 12,900 people for fireworks related injuries.  More than half of those, 54%, were to the extremities and 36% were to the head. Children younger than 15 years accounted for more than one-third of the injuries.

The statistics came from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2015 Fireworks Annual Report.