First aid for fireworks burns and injuries

Nobody plans to need this guide, but every New Year thousands of Filipino families do. Read it before the holidays, not during them — the right first response in the first few minutes makes a real difference to how a burn heals.

01For burns: the first twenty minutes

1. Get the person away from the fireworks and put out any burning clothing — stop, drop, and roll.
2. Hold the burn under cool, clean running water for twenty minutes. This is the single most useful thing you can do, and it still helps up to three hours after the burn.
3. Remove rings, watches, and anything tight near the burn before swelling starts.
4. Cover the burn loosely with a clean, non-fluffy cloth, or with cling wrap laid gently over it.
5. Keep the person warm — cool the burn, not the patient.

02What NOT to put on a burn

• No ice or ice water — it deepens the damage.
• No toothpaste, butter, soy sauce, or ointments. They trap heat and cause infection.
• Do not pop blisters.
• Do not peel off clothing that is stuck to the skin — cool around it and let the hospital handle it.

03When to go to the hospital

Go straight to a hospital for any of these:

• A burn larger than the person's palm, or any deep burn that looks white, leathery, or charred — especially if it does not hurt, which means nerves are damaged.
• Burns on the face, hands, feet, joints, or groin.
• Any burn on a baby or small child.
• Any blast injury to fingers or hands, even if it looks small from outside.
• Signs of shock: pale, cold, sweaty skin, fast breathing, confusion.

04Eye injuries

Fireworks eye injuries need a hospital, full stop. Do not rub the eye, do not press on it, and do not try to pull out anything stuck in it. Cover the eye loosely — the bottom of a paper cup taped over it works — and get to an emergency room immediately. Minutes matter for sight.

05Firecracker blast wounds

A firecracker that goes off in the hand can do serious damage that is not obvious from outside. Control bleeding by pressing firmly with a clean cloth, raise the hand above heart level, and go to a hospital — do not wait to see how it feels in the morning. Be ready to tell the staff when the person last had a tetanus shot.