Auburn teen injured by fireworks reflects a year later



AUBURN, Wash. – The fourth of July holiday is about celebrating and having fun, but it also comes with some risk. A sparkler bomb exploded in the face of Jordan Bernstine last year. He is now 13-years old and has clearly learned from what happened.

“I just came out of the smoke screaming because I was in pain,” recalls Bernstine of the incident on June 30, 2015.

He spent eight days at Harborview Medical Center with burns to 25 percent of his body after a sparkler exploded while he stood in a field in Muckleshoot last year near his brother’s fireworks stand.

“I turn back to sell fireworks and out of nowhere, we hear a loud explosion,” recalls Bailey Bernstine. “So I run over to him and pick him up and then he’s just screaming, I look at him and his eyes are peeled. His skin is bubbling and everything is just messed up.”

One year later, Jordan is healed though he still has a few scars along his arms.

“It feels normal, it’s kind of bumpy,” said Bernstine.

While he may be back to normal, much has changed.

“He’s not so much scared anymore but the fireworks still scare me, so I don’t work at the stands anymore,” said Bailey Bernstine. “I can’t handle the big explosion stuff anymore.”

While Bailey quit working at the fireworks stand, he says he and his brother don’t want to live in fear. It’s why they were headed to buy more fireworks today, except this time with an important lesson in mind.

“Now we’re a lot safer; we’re a lot more careful with the fireworks we use and we stay away from the big stuff,” said Bailey Bernstine.