First Aid for Cracker Burns: Step by Step
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First aid for cracker burns, step by step, has to happen in the first minute, before anyone drives anywhere. What you do (or don't do) with water, ice, and ointment in that first minute decides how bad the scar ends up. This is the exact sequence PESO and the WHO recommend, nothing added.
Step by Step: Skin Burns
Step 1: Pour water, immediately. PESO's instruction is to pour a large quantity of water on the burnt area straight away, not to wait and stand around assessing it first.
Step 2: Keep it running, but don't overdo it. The WHO "Burns" fact sheet adds that cool running water is what actually brings the burn's temperature down. It also warns against prolonging the cooling for too long, since that risks hypothermia, especially in a child. Neither source gives a fixed number of minutes for this step, so don't go looking for one; run the water until the area feels cooler and stop there.
Step 3: Do not touch the burn with anything else. No ice. The WHO is specific that ice deepens the injury rather than helping it. No oil, no haldi (turmeric), no raw cotton, no cream, no ointment, no paste of any kind. PESO backs the same rule from the other direction: nothing except water on a fresh burn.
Step 4: For a major burn, move to rescue mode. If clothing is smouldering, put it out first. Remove the clothing carefully, wrap the person in a clean bedsheet, and get them to a burns specialist or a major hospital. Stay calm; panic slows everyone down.
Step 5: Drive safely, not fast. PESO's line on this is worth repeating exactly: a delay of up to one hour is immaterial. Getting the person there in one piece beats getting there two minutes sooner.
Keep this sequence in the order given. Skipping straight to "get to a hospital" without pouring water first, or stopping at home to look for an ointment before you've even rinsed the burn, both cost time the water step is meant to save. The water comes first because it's the one thing you can do in the first thirty seconds, before a car is even out of the driveway.
Step by Step: Eye Burns
Eye injuries from a firecracker need a different first step, and PESO gives an exact number for this one. Wash the eye with tap water for 10 minutes, then take the person straight to a hospital. Don't try to inspect the eye yourself, don't rub it, and don't skip the hospital trip because it "looks fine" after rinsing; a chemical or heat burn to the eye can look better than it is.
Every one of the eyes-and-ears-related risks around Diwali, not just burns, is covered in more depth in protecting your eyes and ears during Diwali.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read This Before the First Cracker Is Lit
This first-aid sequence sits inside the wider firecracker safety: 20 rules every family should follow, and the full setup-to-first-aid reference lives on our Cracker Safety Instructions page. See also our guide on first aid for cracker burns for a deeper walkthrough, or browse the rest of our safety cluster for more.