Two California Teens Suffer Life-Altering Injuries in Fourth of July Fireworks Accident

Two Orange County teenagers suffered life-altering injuries after an illegal firework exploded during a Fourth of July accident in Anaheim.

Family members say one of the teens lost several fingers on his right hand after he and a friend picked up a firework from the street and attempted to light it. The device exploded while they were holding it.

The teen’s mother, Maria Escalante, said her son remains hospitalized and is expected to undergo additional surgeries as doctors work to determine whether his remaining fingers can be saved.

“They’re going to do their best to reconstruct his hands,” Escalante said, adding that doctors are also checking whether there is enough circulation to prevent further amputations.

Escalante said the other teenager involved also suffered serious hand injuries and cuts to his face.

She is now asking the Anaheim Police Department to investigate, saying she found what remained of the firework after the explosion and plans to provide it to her attorney as evidence.

Escalante also said her injured son’s twin brother witnessed the blast and has been traumatized by what happened.

Officials continue to remind the public that illegal fireworks can be extremely dangerous and may cause severe injuries.