MINNEAPOLIS — An 18-year-old man died early Monday from serious fireworks injuries — the first publicly reported death in Minnesota from fireworks this year.
At about 1:30 a.m. Monday, Brooklyn Park Police responded to a report that a firework exploded in the victim's face near the 9800 block of Fallgold Parkway North. When police arrived, the man's friend was performing CPR. Police said the victim had severe wounds to his hands and face. The man, who hasn't yet been identified, died later at North Memorial Hospital.
Across the country, nine people died last year from fireworks-related injuries. In Minnesota, fireworks fatalities are rare. An Apple Valley man died in 2021 after he was hit by a firework. Before then, the last fireworks-related fatality in the state was in 2015, according to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.
In 2021, 17 Minnesotans were injured by fireworks, down from 78 injuries in 2020, according to the agency.
On Sunday night in Hugo, firefighters responded to a garage fire that authorities said may have started by fireworks. Crews were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to the nearby house.
The State Fire Marshal Division recommends safety tips including following manufacturer's instructors, pointing fireworks away from anyone and not trying to relight a dud. In Minnesota, fireworks that explode or shoot in the air are illegal, but the public can use sparklers, fountain fireworks that sit on the ground and ground spinners or other similar fireworks.
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