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Executive Summary <br />Ten Orange County cities permitted the sale of safe and sane fireworks in 2017, for a total of 254 <br />stands throughout the County. A total of 33 public fireworks displays provided safe celebration <br />options for the communities within Orange County. This year, there were no reported injuries as a <br />result of a public display firework show. A few safety concerns were raised by some displays <br />within OCFA (Orange County Fire Authority) jurisdiction that will be addressed for the upcoming <br />2018 Independence Day festivities. <br />In 2017, the injuries associated with fireworks decreased to 29 total injuries. Last year, Orange <br />County reported 39 injuries that were related to fireworks. In comparison to the Consumer Product <br />Safety Commission's (CPSC) 2016 fireworks injury statistics, Orange County's total fireworks <br />injuries are less than expected for our population. Safe and sane fireworks did not contribute to <br />any injuries that were reported this year. Illegal fireworks contributed to 45% of Orange County's <br />reported injuries while 55% of reported injuries were caused by an unknown type of firework. <br />Mortars were the firework type that caused the most injuries in 2017. As in previous years, a <br />majority of the reported injuries within Orange County were burns on the hands and fingers. <br />Firework injuries reported by hospital emergency rooms and urgent care facilities were mapped <br />and compared to areas where the sale of safe and sane fireworks has been permitted. Results are a <br />clear indication that hospitals near the cities where safe and sane firework sales are permitted, <br />reported more fireworks -related injuries. <br />This year, California experienced very heavy rainfall during the winter months. The rainfall <br />elevated wildfire danger as it contributed to the substantial growth of vegetation that eventually <br />dried out and became foliage that can catch fire and spread quickly. Fireworks safety is more <br />critical than ever to prevent dangerous fires and injuries. While Orange County's reported injuries <br />decreased this year, there was a considerable uptick in several other areas. Orange County <br />experienced a significant increase in estimated property loss; almost tripling from last year's <br />$53,600 to $147,121 this year. The acreage lost due to fireworks -related fires was higher than it <br />has been in the past 4 years. Additionally, the amount of both consumer and illegal fireworks that <br />were confiscated this year far surpasses the confiscation numbers of the last 4 years. <br />We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the fire departments and medical providers <br />in Orange County who contributed data to the analysis in this report. <br />3 <br />