Illinois Fire Marshal Urges Fireworks Safety CHICAGO, IL (wsiu) - Their use is mostly illegal in Illinois. But that doesn't stop people from using them - or getting injured by them.

So as the July fourth holiday approaches, state fire marshal David Foreman is reminding people that fireworks in the hands of children or untrained adults can lead to severe injury.

Overall, firework-related injuries are way down since an Illinois law regulating fireworks in 2006. Still, around 100 such injuries were reported last year.

The latest data from the National Fire Protection Association indicates 9,800 Americans were treated for firework-related injuries in 2007.

The group also notes that more fires are reported in the country on July 4th than on any other day of the year. And fireworks account for half of those fires.
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