There's nothing more exhilarating on a summer night than fireworks. Be it at Salisbury Beach on Saturday night, or 4th of July in Portsmouth. But fireworks are dangerous...even the backyard kind. And I know from experience.

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When I was 13 years old, my dad decided to set off bottle rockets in the backyard on the 4th of July. The fuse didn't light the first time...so he went back to light it again, and as soon as he sparked his lighter...BOOM! The bottle he was suing to fire the fireworks blew up in his face. He has cuts al over his arms, his face, and he nearly lost his thumb. My dad was lucky. But each year thousands of people are injured using something as harmless as sparklers. But that pales in comparison to the most dangerous fireworks you'll encounter this summer.

Now before you scoff at my story, just remember about 10,500 people in the United States are treated for fireworks-related injuries every year, peaking around the Fourth of July, according to The Seattle Times. KIRO says more than a third of people who suffered a hand injury from a firework had to have at least a partial amputation.

So what firework is responsible for this kind of devastation? According to a study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, shell-and-mortar-style fireworks are the single most dangerous.

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So as tempting as it is to buy up a bunch of those really cool looking fireworks that look like the could start WWIII, leave the heavy artillery to the professionals. Check back here a little closer to the 4th of July for a list of the best professional fireworks displays.

 

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