SEATTLE — Harborview Medical Center in Seattle says that injuries from fireworks are up 65% from last year.
Clinicians have treated a total of 86 people in the past week—last year that number was 52.
Tim Fredrickson, the hospital’s associate chief nursing officer, said these are the injuries the hospital has seen so far this year:
- 32 involve hands
- 15 involve eyes
- 13 involve other body areas (e.g., head, legs, abdomen)
- 26 involve multiple body areas
“This is a troubling increase,” Fredrickson said. “More importantly, these are all individuals whose holiday ended in the emergency department instead of with family and friends. Many of the injuries are severe, including burns, hand and eye trauma that may carry lifelong consequences. Most were preventable.”
Harborview expects this year’s numbers to continue to grow over the next two days as patients are transferred from other hospitals.
Harborview is the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma center in Washington, and serves as the regional trauma and burn center for Alaska, Idaho and Montana.
©2026 Cox Media Group
