The Fourth of July is commonly associated with food, fun, and of course, fireworks – but the number of injuries caused by fireworks may catch some Americans by surprise.

According to a report released this week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were eight deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries involving fireworks in 2023.

“Many people just aren’t aware of the risk involved with fireworks, and we want to help change that to help keep people safe,” explained CPSC Public Affairs Specialist Thaddeus Harrington.

The report also said that between 2008 and 2023, injuries from fireworks increased overall. And while teenagers ages 15-19 had the highest rate of emergency room visits due to fireworks injuries in the four weeks surrounding last year’s holiday, kids between the ages of 5-9 had the second-highest rate.

“Really there is no such thing as safe fireworks,” Harrington said. “Even sparklers burn at about 2000 degrees, as hot as a blowtorch. So if you wouldn’t let your child run around with a lit blowtorch, same goes for sparklers.”

More information about the report – as well as safety tips – can be found here.

Here’s more information about which fireworks are – and are not – legal in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

The second annual Stock the Block drive-through distribution event on June 22 drew more than 1,500 families near Washington, D.C., to receive donations and other services from local nonprofits.

Stock the Block committee members, made up of local young adult congregations from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Lazera Ministries, organized this year’s community distribution event.

“We partner with local nonprofits to help provide both services and needed items to help families in our community,” said Tiffany Osborn, chair of the Stock the Block Committee.

Based on an average household size of five people, the Stock the Block committee estimates that 7,700 men, women and children will benefit from the donations distributed.

“When people are in the midst of poverty and in the midst of being marginalized, their children are experiencing that,” said Yolonda Earl-Thompson, executive director for Lazera Ministries. “We just want to bring a little joy in a little moment so that the kid can be a kid.”

The donations were primarily provided by Good360, a product philanthropy nonprofit based in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, and by the Church. Donation items included personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, diapers, socks, school supplies and toys for children.

Romaine Seguin, CEO of Good360, said that the organization’s mission is to close the need gap between what goods and services people do and do not have.

The Stock the Block community distribution event “gives [community members] hope,” said Seguin. “This is a day of giving our communities sustainable support, and they can move on and better their lives.”

Donation recipients drove through a corridor of supplies on either side while volunteers helped load their cars. For those without access to a vehicle, a walk-up center was available to receive aid. A free shuttle also traveled through neighboring communities, picking up individuals, driving them through the lines and delivering them back to their homes with their donations.

The Stock the Block committee partnered with the Fairfax County Police Department and other Fairfax County community services and other organizations to provide additional services and spread the word about the event to the local communities.

The more than 300 volunteers helping at the event were primarily from the Washington D.C. YSA South Stake with about 60 area missionaries from the Washington D.C. South Mission. They braved temperatures reaching into the high 90s to help direct traffic, distribute goods and provide translation services to those who needed it.

“While today’s event was largely run by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it wasn’t an incredibly religious experience,” Osborn said. “But for us, it was still a sacred experience because we were able to lift and serve in the way our Savior would serve. We not only saw miracles, we also felt His presence and His love on behalf of the people around us. We do this because we love Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ loves us, and we embrace our responsibility to reflect that love to all of God’s children.”

WASHINGTON – Washington, D.C. is the eighth-best place in the country to celebrate the Fourth of July, according to a new study by WalletHub.

The personal finance company compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on how much holiday fun you can have on a budget.

The study was based on 18 key metrics, including average beer and wine prices, to the duration of fireworks shows. The study also looked at the Fourth of July weather forecast.

The study also took safety into account, looking at crime rates, DUI-related fatalities, and deadly pedestrian crashes. 

Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and San Diego came in ahead of the nation’s capital. St. Paul and St. Louis rounded out the top 10.

In Virginia, Virginia Beach ranked 35, Norfolk ranked 51, and Chesapeake ranked 59. In Maryland, Baltimore ranked 41.