FIREWORK LEAVES GIRL WITH SEVERE BURNS AT FAMILY DISPLAY

A young girl suffered severe burns to her neck and shoulder after a firework struck her during a family display in her back garden, her mother said. The incident happened at the end of October last year, when a firework failed to launch skyward, veered sideways into a swing set that had been moved aside, and ricocheted into the child. Her clothing caught fire within seconds, and her family rushed to put out the flames before taking her to hospital for skin graft surgery. Her mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said the family believed they had taken every precaution necessary.

The mother said the family had chosen low-noise fireworks to avoid distressing their pets and had followed the safety instructions on the packaging. "We followed all of the instructions on the firework packaging, made sure the fireworks were set up correctly and kept to the recommended safe distance," she said. "We genuinely believed we had taken every precaution we could to keep our family safe." One firework still fired sideways across the garden instead of launching upward. The family said they removed the girl's clothing, cooled her burns in the shower, wrapped them in cling film and took her to hospital.

Surgeons carried out a skin graft in November, after which the girl required dressing changes every two days, which her mother described as difficult for her. The mother said her daughter has been left with lasting physical and mental injuries. She is now warning other families of the dangers fireworks can pose even when safety guidance is followed closely. The family had wanted a quiet evening of food and celebration, mindful of their pets' sensitivity to noise.