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Executive Summary <br />Ten Orange County cities permitted the sale of safe and sane fireworks in 2018, for a total of 229 <br />stands throughout the County. A total of 25 public fireworks displays provided safe celebration <br />options for the communities within Orange County. <br />In 2018, the injuries associated with fireworks increased to 38 total reported injuries. Last year, <br />Orange County reported 29 injuries that were related to fireworks. In comparison to the Consumer <br />Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) 2017 fireworks injury statistics, Orange County's total <br />fireworks injuries are less than expected for our population. While last year, there were no reported <br />Safe and Sane fireworks -related injuries, this year, Safe and Sane injuries accounted for 13% of <br />reported county -wide injuries. 19% of fireworks -related injuries were due to illegal fireworks <br />while the outstanding 68% of injuries remain unknown. As in previous years, a majority of the <br />reported injuries within Orange County were burns to the eyes, 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 <br />a clear indication that hospitals near the cities where Safe and Sane firework sales are permitted, <br />did not necessarily report more injuries than those hospitals that are not near those same cities. <br />Orange County experienced a slight decrease in estimated property loss this year. The acreage lost <br />due to fireworks -related fires was also lower than it was last year. Additionally, the amount of both <br />consumer and illegal fireworks that were confiscated (by local fire departments) this year has gone <br />down over 2,300 pounds compared to 2017. <br />With devastating wildfires forcing evacuations and destroying thousands of homes, wildfires have <br />become a major concern for many Southern California citizens. Fireworks have become a wildfire <br />liability and there is deliberation about the possibility of an outright ban on fireworks in fire -prone <br />California. There have been more than 2,350 wildfires in California within the first half of 2018. <br />This year, many wildfire -plagued cities across America have turned to drones as an alternative to <br />fireworks. While this has not yet become the norm for California, it could very well be on the <br />horizon as the future for holiday festivities. Orange County has yet to see a drone show, but it <br />would be no surprise if one were to take place in the near future. <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 />