Bonfire Night warning from boy who suffered ‘devastating’ fireworks injuries
Riley Luke lost four fingers and part of his palm after a firework went off in his hand in 2022.
A schoolboy who suffered “devastating” injuries when a firework went off in his hand has warned others to think twice about playing with fireworks on Bonfire Night.
Riley Luke, from Paisley in Renfrewshire, was just eight years old when he lost four fingers and part of his hand in the incident on November 7 2022.
He had been out playing in the local area when his friends found a firework and they began passing it around each other as they tried to light it.
His father Scott Luke explained: “Eventually, Riley was holding it and when it lit, it stuck to his hand.
“He was trying to get it off his hand and then within seconds it exploded, which resulted in losing four of his fingers and a good part of his palm.”
Mr Luke had phoned Riley to come home for dinner when a man answered his phone and told him something had happened to Riley.
He continued: “He was two streets away from where we were staying and he was holding the guy’s hand who had been on the phone.
“His thumb was blasted back to his wrist, part of his hand wasn’t there and he had fingers missing.”
Riley was taken by ambulance to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow where he was in surgery for 14 hours.
He then spent around two weeks in an induced coma in intensive care with his hand stitched to his groin to restore blood flow.
He was released from hospital just a few days before Christmas.
Now aged 12, Riley recalled the first few weeks out of hospital after losing his fingers.
“I had to learn to write with my left hand. I needed help getting ready, I needed help cutting my food,” he said.
“I had to get my teacher to help me write. I thought about writing with my left hand one day and then I just got, like, better and better at it.
“I was colouring in with pencils in the hospital and that was building my hand strength up.”
Four years on he still finds tasks like tying shoelaces and fastening buttons challenging.
Mr Luke said despite how life-changing Riley’s injury has been, he has not let it stop him from joining in on activities.
“He’s head-strong, he doesn’t hold back. He still goes and plays on the scooters, bikes, just anything that a wee boy does, he does too,” he said.
“It’s just a wee bit challenging.”
In the run-up to this year’s Bonfire Night, Riley has warned others to be careful around fireworks.
“Just think before you do it,” he said.
“Let your parents do it instead of you so you don’t lose any of your fingers, hurt yourself, end up in hospital or lose an eye.”
On Bonfire Night last year the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) received a total of 751 calls between 3.30pm and midnight, and fire crews attended more than 250 bonfires.
Deputy assistant chief officer Ian McMeekin, who is head of prevention at SFRS, said: “Riley’s experience is a stark reminder of the devastating injuries fireworks can cause.
“Fireworks are explosives and are incredibly dangerous if they’ve not been handled safely by an adult.
“We want to prevent fires, accidents and injuries from occurring in the first place.
“If you’re planning on hosting a private event involving fireworks, consider the risks and always follow the Firework Code to keep everyone safe.
“Our community action teams across Scotland have been engaging with local schools to ensure pupils are aware of the dangers that bonfires and fireworks pose, and they will continue working with our partners to promote safety messaging.”