Independence Day is not officially marked until Friday, but many Arkansans are already celebrating—with dangerous results.

One local hospital is treating its first fireworks-related injury of the long holiday weekend.

(Donna Parnell-Beasley, Arkansas Children’s Hospital) “An eye injury is what we've already seen this week."

And, Children's trauma coordinator Donna Parnell-Beasley says it's too early to tell the severity of the damage.

(Parnell-Beasley) "We're waiting to see--but typically with a trauma to the eye, it is a permanent loss of vision to that eye."

The child was playing with bottle rockets, which Parnell-Beasley says are the most dangerous fireworks you can buy.

(Parnell-Beasley) "Those are the ones that fire at a really high rate of speed. Those are the things that need to be reserved for the professionals."

Bottle rockets not only account for most of the injuries in the emergency room, but also 90% of the calls to one central Arkansas police department.

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