'Just think before you do it': 12-year-old Paisley boy urges caution after life-changing fireworks accident

A 12-year-old boy who lost four fingers in an incident on Bonfire Night has urged others to think before they play with fireworks.

Riley Luke from Paisley hopes his message will help warn others of the dangers and spoke of how he had to re-learn how to do everyday tasks like writing, tying his shoelaces and eating.

Riley was just eight years old when he was out playing with friends in the local area. The group found a firework.

His dad, Scott Luke, explained: “They had been trying to light the firework and had passed it around each other trying to light it.

“Eventually, Riley was holding it and when it lit, it stuck to his hand.

“He was trying to get it off his hand and then within seconds it exploded, which resulted in losing four of his fingers and a good part of his palm.”

Scott had phoned Riley to come home for dinner when a man answered his phone and told him something had happened to Riley.

Scott continued: “He was two streets away from where we were staying and he was holding the guy's hand who had been on the phone.

“His thumb was blasted back to his wrist, part of his hand wasn't there and he had fingers missing.”

Riley was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and underwent 14 hours of surgery and spent two weeks in an induced coma in intensive care, with his hand stitched to his groin to restore blood flow. He was released only days before Christmas.

Riley explained what the first few weeks looked like out of hospital after losing his fingers.

He said: “I had to learn to write with my left hand. I needed help getting ready, I needed help cutting my food.

“I had to get my teacher to help me write. I thought about writing with my left hand one day and then I just got better and better at it.

“I was colouring in with pencils in the hospital and that was building my hand strength up.”

But four years on, Riley still finds tasks such as tying shoelaces and fastening buttons challenging.

Despite how life-changing Riley’s injury has been, he hasn’t let it stop him from joining in on activities, Scott said.

He said: “He's head strong, he doesn’t hold back. He still goes and plays on the scooters, bikes, just anything that a wee boy does - he does too. It's just a wee bit challenging.”

Riley is advising others to be careful around fireworks to ensure they don’t end up with a serious injury.

He said: “Just think before you do it. Let your parents do it instead of you so you don't lose any of your fingers, hurt yourself, end up in hospital or lose an eye.”

On 5 November 2025, a total of 751 calls were made to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) between 3.30pm and midnight, and firefighters attended more than 250 bonfires.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Ian McMeekin is the Head of Prevention at SFRS.

He said: “Riley's experience is a stark reminder of the devastating injuries fireworks can cause.

“Fireworks are explosives and are incredibly dangerous if they’ve not been handled safely by an adult.

"We want to prevent fires, accidents and injuries from occurring in the first place. If you're planning on hosting a private event involving fireworks, consider the risks and always follow the Firework Code to keep everyone safe.

"Our Community Action Teams across Scotland have been engaging with local schools to ensure pupils are aware of the dangers that bonfires and fireworks pose, and they will continue working with our partners to promote safety messaging."