ROCK HILL, S.C. — With the 4th of July less than a week away, a retailer recalled 25,000 fireworks after a 12-year-old boy in Ohio lost his hand in an explosion.
This time next week, a lot of people will be setting off fireworks but it doesn't take much before a celebration can turn dangerous.
The biggest takeaway is listed right on the package in bold letters: Kids shouldn’t be setting them off.
It wouldn't be Independence Day without fireworks. With less than a week to go, business is booming for stores in South Carolina.
“Bottle rockets, roman candles, snap pops, the little things that you snap on the ground, champagne party poppers. The kids love those,” said Amanda Norwood who works at Area 51 Fireworks in Rock Hill.
Kids may love it, but warnings throughout the store and on just about every package say they shouldn't be setting them off without adult supervision.
Case in point, Caleb Bogan is now adjusting to life with a prosthetic.
“When stuff is sticking to my plate, I can't even dump it out in the trash without needing help,” said Bogan.
The 12-year-old found a broken end of a rocket in Ohio with one of his friends. When he lit it, it exploded.
Police investigated, and now the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling tens of thousands of fireworks overloaded with pyrotechnics and in violation of federal regulations.
The products are being pulled off the shelves just in time for the fourth.
“I wouldn't want anybody to go through this because it is not something that you would want to go through,” said Bogan.
The owner of Alien Fireworks, Doug Cianfrocca, said safety should always be the top priority.
"Always have a hose available or a bucket full of water so you can always douse whatever firework goes off. Make sure you stabilize every single firework you do,” said Cianfrocca.
If you're going to take matters into your own hands, know the risks.
"You're not supposed to hold them in your hands but if you're going to hold a roman candle in your hand, it has to be an adult, not a kid, and it can't be in front, you've got to hold it out to the side,” said Cianfrocca.
The laws are very different in North and South Carolina. In North Carolina, nothing can leave the ground.