Fireworks Injuries Can Be 'Disfiguring For Life,' Burn Doctor Warns

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The big boom from fireworks can lead to big injuries.

Hundreds of people end up in the emergency room in July with fireworks-related injuries, mostly burns to the hands legs and eyes.

"You can have clothes catching fire, you can have significant burns from that," said Dr. Faran Bokhari, chairman, of the trauma and burn unit at Stroger Hospital.

"You can have burns from the explosion. you can lose your bones and down to third or fourth degree. So it can be very very significant and that's disfiguring for life."

In Illinois anything bigger than a sparkler or small noise maker is illegal. In Indiana, fireworks sales are legal and big business over the border.

The Chicago Police Department also is stepping up patrols throughout the July 4th weekend, with 1,500 extra officers being deployed, largely focused on the lakefront and Navy Pier, where hundreds of thousands of people are expected to show up to watch the fireworks.