Half of July 4 fires caused by fireworks: Trade group

He was celebrating Labor Day in Columbia, Md., with his neighbors back in 2016.

One of the neighbors was playing with fireworks when a sparkler went off, striking Joseph. He suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns on his legs.

Now, at 7 years old, Joseph is still receiving treatments at Johns Hopkins’ Pediatric Trauma and Burn Unit after suffering the consequences of consumer firework dangers.

Jackson Lee/Getty ImagesMacy’s 4th of July Fireworks on July 4, 2017 in New York.

The National Fire Protection Association, a trade organization that advocates for fire safety, found that 12,900 people were treated at U.S. hospital emergency rooms for firework-related injuries last year. Children under the age of 15 accounted for more than a third of those injuries.

Fireworks can reach temperatures nearly 2,000 degrees and sparklers can reach 1,200, according to the organization.

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty ImagesFireworks explode over the National Mall on July 4, 2017, in Washington.

To put that into perspective, water’s boiling point is 212 degrees.

More fires are reported on July 4 than any other day of the year and 50 percent of those are caused by fireworks, the organization found.

It urges people to not use consumer fireworks.

Sourse: abcnews.go.com