DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Several people in South Florida went to the hospital Wednesday due to injuries suffered during Independence Day celebrations.
In Lauderhill, police responded to a home on the 5400 block of Northwest 24th Court, where one man, suffered a partial hand amputation because of fireworks.
“He lighting it, trying to light it. Once he lit it, there was no time left. He was out of time,” said the victim’s girlfriend, Nancy Beckford. “All his hand, his fingers. This [right] hand, he could work with his fingers, but from the TNT, the gun powder, it split it up, it tore all of this up. It looked like he stuck it in a meat grinder.”
Beckford said her boyfriend picked up a firework that didn’t ignite and lit what was left of the fuse, causing the firework to explode in his hand.
“Both hands are injured. His chest is burnt, his stomach is burnt. He’s just all messed up. He will never be the same,” Beckford said.
He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in serious condition.
Outside of the firework injury in Lauderhill, a house also went up in flames due to what authorities believe was a firework. The house was being renovated and officials believe a firework hit it, causing it ignite.
A Pembroke Park home also caught on fire when a firework fragment landed on a couch that was outside. The fire was contained to the outside structure.
“It’s all for fun, but obviously, it’s really not when you look at it, where people are getting hurt,” said neighbor Richard Stevens. “They need to understand the dangers of fireworks.”
However, incidents were not exclusive to Lauderhill. In Surfside, there was another scare when an operator was burned in the chest and face, cancelling the fireworks show.
That man was taken to the hospital and is expected to be OK.
In Pompano Beach, two people suffered firework injuries. One person was holding an M-80 firework when it exploded. He lost all of his fingers on one hand while another suffered burns to his hand.
Surveillance video showed the scene as Pompano Beach Fire Rescue crews responded to the house.
Both men were transported to Broward Health North.
“He lost multiple digits on one hand, and he also has an eye injury,” said Pompano Beach Fire Rescue Chief John Jurgle. “The second person had some burns from that. One gentleman was holding the firework while the other one lighting it.”
In the hours before many people lit their fireworks, NFL player Jason Pierre-Paul took to social media to remind people about the dangers of mishandling fireworks, sharing a photo on Instagram of a graphic injury he received in 2015.
“Unfortunately, tomorrow someone will be injured playing with fireworks … Be safe out there. Otherwise, this can be you,” he wrote.
Now, that message is something Beckford is echoing.
“I just want people to know it’s dangerous. People, don’t mess with it,” she said.
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