In this article we describe two separate cases of serious eye injuries that were the result of two teenagers´ attempts to make home-made explosives out of fireworks. They had tampered with the same brand of firework, Víti, that appears to be popular for this purpose and instructions are available on the internet. One boy got an intraocular glass splinter and underwent vitrectomy for removal. The other boy suffered burns on his corneas that were treated with amniotic membranes. In both cases the outcome was better than expected at first. The objective of this article is to draw attention to the danger of tampering with fireworks and the necessity of preventive measures to minimize the risk of serious eye injuries.

Picture 1:
Case 1: Teenage boy at time of arrival to the Emergency Department. Facial burns after fireworks explosion.
 
Picture  2:
Case 1: Oedema, cuts and soot in eye after fireworks explosion.
 
Picture 3:
Case 1: Examination one year after fireworks explosion. Soot is in conjunctiva and cornea.

 
Picture 4:
Case 2: CT scan of head. The arrow points to a glass particle situated in the left eye of the patient after a fireworks explosion.