9-month-old with second-degree burns among 39 injured by fireworks, Wichita official says

A 9-month-old boy was the youngest among the 39 people injured from fireworks around the July 4 holiday, Wichita Fire Department battalion chief Jose Ocadiz said Thursday.

Ocadiz gave details on the number of 911 complaints for fireworks, damages and injuries. It’s an annual report by the fire department that shows some of the cons of the holiday celebrations.

Here are the details:

Injuries

The 39 people injured in Wichita ranged in age from 9 months to 59 years. Thirteen medical facilities reported the injuries. The 9-month-old has possibly permanent second-degree burns to his face and neck from an unknown type of firework, Ocadiz said. Other youngsters hurt included a 19-month-old girl injured by a sparkler and a 9-year-old girl injured on her eye.

Ocadiz said the injuries ranged from minor to serious, with the serious ones being injuries reported to be permanent for several people.

The 39 injuries this year are in line with the 5-year average of roughly 40 injuries each year, he said.

Damage

The Wichita Fire Department was called to five fires caused by fireworks: two at homes, one at a detached garage, one at a shed and one that caused minimal damage at a construction site on Amidon Bridge.

The two homes had minor damage to the siding, he said, and both were caused from improper disposal of fireworks. The detached garage had minor damage for the same reason, he said.

The cause of the shed fire is believed to be “juvenile fire play and homeless activity could not be ruled out,” Ocadiz said.

The total damages were estimated at $60,000, which is $122,000 less than the estimate from last year. Last year’s damage included a home destroyed by a fire sparked by children playing with roman candles. Occupants of the home were able to escape.

Ocadiz said he did not include in the five fires this year the one that happened during a show at Bradley Fair. A tree on the island caught fire, but the flames were quickly put out.

Calls and fines

The non-emergency line opened for calls from June 30 to July 5 had 1,046 calls, Ocadiz said, with 736 of those related to fireworks. The most calls came on July 5 for people still firing fireworks even though it’s not allowed past July 4, he said.

The call volume last year was 1,224 with 791 firework specific.

Five citations were written for violating city ordinances: one for firing fireworks on July 5 and the others for shooting fireworks after midnight, he said.