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Original poster

Do people ever get hurt by rockets (fireworks) returning to ground?

29 replies

Goodfrock · 05/11/2023 16:56

There's a huge one sticking out of my lawn this morning. All's well that ends well, there was no-one outside and no one hurt, but it occurred to me that if it had hit someone or something it would have done a lot of damage, but you never hear of that so does it never actually happen?

OP posts:
HappiDaze · 05/11/2023 16:57

One hit me in the hand once but it just bruised and hurt in impact but not after that

OddBoots · 05/11/2023 17:00

We had once one hit our car door while we were driving and make a big gouge in it as well as the shock of it. I am sure injuries happen.

MrsLeonFarrell · 05/11/2023 17:19

I was hit by a piece of a rocket at a display once. It didn't hurt, it was about the size of my hand, but I did mention it to the organisers, who I knew, and next year I noticed they had moved the barriers back.

TicTacNicNak · 05/11/2023 17:25

I was hit by a rocket once. Not one that returned to the ground but one my dad and I were setting off in the garden. We had the stick in a glass bottle and as it took off the bottle fell over and it was like the rocket was chasing me round the garden. I couldn't get away from it and was probably screaming a bit. One of the sparks set fire to my hair and I had a burn the size of a 50p piece on the back of my head. The smell of burning hair was horrendous. My kids were small and watching from the back door and were crying, it was awful. We never did home fireworks again after that.

Original poster
Goodfrock · 05/11/2023 17:45

TicTacNicNak · 05/11/2023 17:25

I was hit by a rocket once. Not one that returned to the ground but one my dad and I were setting off in the garden. We had the stick in a glass bottle and as it took off the bottle fell over and it was like the rocket was chasing me round the garden. I couldn't get away from it and was probably screaming a bit. One of the sparks set fire to my hair and I had a burn the size of a 50p piece on the back of my head. The smell of burning hair was horrendous. My kids were small and watching from the back door and were crying, it was awful. We never did home fireworks again after that.

Even when I was a child in the 1970s the instructions advised never to put rockets in bottles! I remember because my Grandad and my mum had a big barney over it. 😆

OP posts:
LittleSnowBear · 05/11/2023 17:50

We were at an organised fireworks display many years ago and a rocket that should have gone up went horizontal into a child’s pushchair. Luckily dad had the child on his shoulders at the time.

Vinrouge4 · 05/11/2023 17:52

LittleSnowBear · 05/11/2023 17:50

We were at an organised fireworks display many years ago and a rocket that should have gone up went horizontal into a child’s pushchair. Luckily dad had the child on his shoulders at the time.

Blimey!

shardash · 05/11/2023 18:09

If your are outside and watching fireworks, don't wear a coat with the hood down.

Heartbreaktuna · 05/11/2023 18:13

One landed on my mum's nose, almost blinded her! Caused a nasty cut

Iam4eels · 05/11/2023 18:16

I remember a few years ago a lady in our village was looking up at a rocket as it went off and falling debris hit her in the eye.

Mytholmroyd · 05/11/2023 18:17

The boys in my village used to stick Roman Candles horizontal in the dry stone wall and then play chicken taking it in turns to see who could run past it without getting hit.

Nobody seriously hurt but still 🙄

thenightsky · 05/11/2023 18:19

When I was a kid in the 70s I remember every year a Catherine wheel would spin off its drawing pin and hurtle around the crowd. I hated Catherine wheels.

All2Well · 05/11/2023 18:21

One hit my car windscreen as I was driving a couple of years ago, could have been pretty dangerous had I not been stationary at the time!

Another time as I was getting out of my car, one landed beside me but as it was coming down I looked up and got powder/debris in my eye which was really sore.

I live very close to where the city's official display is!

Yourebeingtooloud · 05/11/2023 18:22

My first fireworks night with DH (then just a bf), he lit a rocket which promptly fell over and shot into my forehead. Loads of my hair was singed but luckily I wasn’t actually hurt. I still married him but we go to organised displays now 😂

Mytholmroyd · 05/11/2023 18:22

LittleSnowBear · 05/11/2023 17:50

We were at an organised fireworks display many years ago and a rocket that should have gone up went horizontal into a child’s pushchair. Luckily dad had the child on his shoulders at the time.

😮

HaplessRhombus · 05/11/2023 18:24

We went to a "professional" display when I was a child and a firework went straight into the crowd and hit a little girl. It hit her hand and from what I remember she lost at least one finger and had a mutilated hand.

muddyford · 05/11/2023 18:24

An organised display in Staffordshire had this on Friday evening.

Topofthemountain · 05/11/2023 18:27

10 years ago, the fire service was on strike. DH was at the hospital visiting his Mum and I was home with three young children. I happened to look out the back bedroom window before closing the curtains and thought goodness the neighbours are having a bonfire very close to the fence / shed. The next moment I realised it was actually an accidental fire.

I managed to alert the neighbours and he put it out using my hosepipe. I often wonder what would have happened had I not closed the curtains at that point, especially with the fire service being on strike. We had been to swimming lessons so it was later than usual.

The most likely cause was a firework landing and causing whatever was there to set alight.

The end 'result' was a slightly burnt fence panel.

Nameshame · 05/11/2023 18:31

Seaside public display. Wind gusts forced firework embers(?) in to the crowd. I have a small burn on my chest where my v neck top didn’t fully protect my skin. My jacket and top had singe marks/small holes.

PurpleChrayne · 05/11/2023 18:35

I got hit in the upper arm by a rocket during Chinese new year in Beijing. It felt like a light punch. I was wearing many layers because it was effing freezing, so it probably could have been worse if not for that.

Frenchtoastandoj · 05/11/2023 18:36

A couple of years ago a firework going diagonally not up just missed us and a big group of teens sat on a bank . They were ok - but they had to move fast

PauliesWalnuts · 05/11/2023 18:40

A Catherine wheel came off our fence post and chased my dad around the garden once - he was a marathon runner but I’ve never seen him move that fast. But when it burnt out there was absolutely nothing left of it.

MrsMoastyToasty · 05/11/2023 18:41

We were celebrating the new year in Prague and some numpty was settling them off in the streets around the main square from the back of a car. One went horizontal along the street and caught me in the shin. Luckily I was wearing thermals and jeans so just suffered a 50p sized bruise.

limefrog · 05/11/2023 18:45

I know someone who was hit by one coming down. It just caused a bruise, nothing very serious. I guess if it hit directly on the top of the head it might have knocked him out or something.

They are obviously much more dangerous when set off/ going up than coming down.

Tonia16 · 05/11/2023 18:45

When I was a child (many years ago) a group of boys were throwing bangers and one hit me on my knee.
It was over fifty years ago but I still have a scar. Health and safety was not on anyone's agenda at that time.

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