TULALIP — A Bothell boy could lose his hand after setting off a leftover firework on Mission Beach on the Tulalip Reservation July 5.

The 10-year-old was at a family gathering at about 10:30 a.m. when he found what he thought was a “dud” firework, which he nonetheless lit with a cigarette lighter he also found on the beach.

The firework exploded in his hand, injuring him seriously enough that he was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for surgery. According to Tulalip Bay firefighters and medics, the explosion was not life-threatening, but it could require the boy’s hand to be amputated.

Tulalip Bay Fire Chief Rob Johnson cited this accident as an example of why people who use fireworks need to clean up their refuse, rather than leaving their duds behind for children to find.