A mannequin's hand was blown off in this test

From Correspondent Louise Schiavone

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fireworks may be an Independence Day ritual, but, like the War of Independence they commemorate, pyrotechnics come with some risk.

Just ask Louie Jones, who will never forget the Fourth of July when he was 15.

"A friend of mine and I were out in his front yard, and we were shooting Roman candles off. And we decided to start shooting them off at stop signs and aiming them," Jones says. "It fired one ball and the rest of it -- the back end -- just ignited straight in my face.

"I felt my nose, and it wasn't there. And then I really got scared. And then I went and looked in the mirror -- and now I really got scared."

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CNN's Louise Schiavone takes a look at fireworks safety
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More than 8,000 people in the United States were injured by fireworks last year. More than half suffered burns, often to the head, eyes or hands, and more than half were under age 15.

From innocent-looking sparklers to colorful rockets, the effects can be devastating, and a holiday that might have been spent at a picnic can turn into an agonizing trip to the hospital.

Pediatric surgeons say the physical and psychological effects of injuries from fireworks can be sickening -- robbing youngsters of eyes, fingers, hands and self-confidence.

"Children will usually go over and light [a bottle rocket], and sometimes they'll look at it or they'll fire it at another child," says Dr. Kurt Newman, a pediatric surgeon at National Children's Medical Center in Washington. "The thing will come exploding out, or it won't go off right away, and so they'll go over and look at it, and it'll go off right in their face."

To avoid disaster, experts advise keeping children away from fireworks, maintaining a safe distance from exploding devices and having water on hand at all times.

Louie Jones has a more basic piece of advice, learned the hard way.

"Don't be stupid."