Serious Firework Injury in Hörby Highlights Emergency Call Surge on New Year's Eve 2025

On New Year's Eve 2025, a man in his 30s from Hörby suffered serious injuries to his fingers and hands after a firework exploded inside his kitchen, causing a small fire. The incident occurred as he was handling fireworks at home, prompting an emergency response from police and medical personnel. The man was quickly transported to the hospital, according to Region Skåne.

This injury case occurred amid a hectic night for Sweden's emergency services. SOS Alarm witnessed a dramatic increase in calls to the emergency number 112, with call volumes doubling before midnight and tripling at midnight in some areas. While a typical weekend night sees approximately 3,200 calls, New Year's Eve recorded about 8,000 calls between 10 PM and 6 AM. Remarkably, about one-third of these calls were false alarms, including complaints about noisy neighbors or minor plumbing issues.

Douglas Norström, the acting press chief at SOS Alarm, expressed concern that all calls are placed in the same queue, which risks delaying responses to life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrests. This surge in non-urgent calls competes for resources at a time when critical incidents like the firework injury in Hörby demand prompt attention.

The combined strain of genuine emergencies and false alarms on New Year's Eve underscores the challenges emergency services face during high-risk holidays and the importance of cautious firework use and responsible emergency call practices.