MOUNT VERNON — It happens every year at this time, according to local eye surgeon Deborah Reeder, M.D.

“I dread the Fourth of July,” said the Mount Vernon physician, who has been an ophthalmologist for 15 years.

Reeder said that sparklers, bottle rockets, and other “small” fireworks routinely played with by children, keep her and her medical colleagues busy every summer.

“The biggest injury we see is with bottlerockets,” Reeder said. “When those explode, you can get glass in the eye. Those are extremely dangerous.”

Reeder said something as seemingly harmless as sparklers can pose a serious danger. Eye injuries and burns can happen in a split second if a spark flies in a child’s face.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, of the 9,200 injuries due to fireworks that required visits to an emergency room in 2006, 21 percent were caused by sparklers. The temperature of a sparkler as it burns can reach 1,200 degrees; similar to a welding torch. When placed in the hands of a small child who is running around or waving the sparkler in the air near the face, hands or clothes — or those of other children — tragedy can follow.

Clothing can ignite quickly, and the heat from melting and burning clothes causes serious burns.

“I would never let a child light a sparkler,” said Mary Mondozzi, R.N., who is the burn center education outreach coordinator at Akron Children’s Hospital. Akron Children’s cares for pediatric and adult burn patients from a 22-county area, including Knox. Mondozzi said mid-June through the week after the Fourth is a busy time in the burn unit.

“In 2005, we treated people of all ages for fireworks injuries,” Mondozzi said.

The youngest patient was 20 months old, injured when other children lighting fireworks accidentally sent one toward the toddler.

Mondozzi said the burn unit also treats children who lose parts of their hands due to firecrackers or fireworks that explode while being lit.

College Township Fire Chief Bill Smith said that over the years, he has seen people suffer from burns caused by fireworks.

“I see parents who give sparklers to young kids and let them run,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t go out and buy them for kids.”

Ninety percent of injuries treated in the emergency room due to fireworks are caused by legal fireworks, such as sparklers, fountains and other novelties. Bottlerockets, firecrackers, Roman candles and other larger fireworks are illegal for consumers to use in the state of Ohio, even if legally purchased from a fireworks dealer in Ohio.

When buying fireworks in Ohio, the purchaser must sign a form stating the fireworks will be transported out of the state within 48 hours, and use them out of state. Fireworks sales in Ohio may be big business, but the majority of them are illegal to be used within the state.

Mount Vernon Assistant Fire Chief Chris Menapace, who has seen children and teens injured by fireworks during his career, said children ages 10-14 are at a much higher statistical risk for injury from fireworks.

“The reality is a 10-year-old does not have the life skills or the judgment to make good decisions about safety with fireworks,” he said.

“Fireworks are inherently dangerous, and we want people to be safe and enjoy the holiday season,” said Shane Cartmill, public information officer for the Division of State Fire Marshal. Cartmill said that displays neighbors may provide every year that are not monitored by the fire service and conducted by a licensed exhibitor, are dangerous and illegal.

“There is no such thing as a backyard fireworks permit,” Cartmill said.

Tuesday, a home near Cincinnati was damaged when fireworks being stored for a neighborhood display began to explode and burn in the garage, trapping two men inside. The men escaped, but the damage to the home was extensive, and the fire is under investigation.

An explosion and fire in May at a Grange Avenue home in Mount Vernon was also fed by fireworks. That homeowner was a licensed fireworks dealer, and the home was completely destroyed.

More structure fires are reported nationally on Independence Day than any other day of the year. In Ohio, most fires happen on July 3, the day on which many Ohio communities celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. After years of decline in fireworks injuries, medical personnel say that since 2003, injuries have once again been on the rise.

The injuries from fireworks can be quite severe.

“Mainly it’s a second-degree burn,” Mondozzi said. “They are quite painful, and sometimes it also involves a third-degree burn. These require skin grafts.”

“When things do go wrong, they can go really wrong,” Menapace said. “You have to use fire to light these things, and kids are getting hurt using the legal fireworks. Something like sparklers seems harmless, but the fact is, they’re responsible for a lot of these injuries.

“My suggestion to parents would be to realize that your kids probably have a desire to use fireworks,” Menapace said. “As a parent, you need to evaluate your child and his level of maturity. You have to provide the supervision.”

“[Fireworks] like anything else,” Smith said. “If you play with fire, you can get burned.”