Firecracker permit sales remained relatively unchanged from the previous year in 2023, which was marked by large seizures of illegal fireworks approaching New Year’s Eve.
There were 13,984 firecracker permits sold in 2023 — a comparable number to 13,679 permits in 2022, according to the Honolulu Fire Department.
But the slight increase in permits sold didn’t alleviate the number of fireworks- related incidents HFD personnel saw across Oahu. Authorities responded to 23 fireworks-related incidents between 8 a.m. New Year’s Eve and 8 a.m. Jan. 1, an increase from eight fireworks- related emergencies in 2022. Incidents included two structure fires in Mililani and Kaimuki, two dumpster fires, four rubbish fires, three wildland fires and 12 “miscellaneous” fires.
The Honolulu Emergency Services Department also treated multiple injuries over the course of the night, including to several children. Unlike HFD, EMS saw a slight decrease in fireworks-related injuries this year, with eight injuries compared with 2023’s 12. Of this year’s eight injuries, EMS Director James Ireland said Jan. 1 at a news conference that six were “severe.”
There were no fireworks- related deaths.
Firecracker permits have been required since 2011 after an islandwide partial fireworks ban enacted on Oahu restricted the possession and use of aerial fireworks, fountains and even sparklers.
There have been numerous attempts to crack down on illegal fireworks since then. During 2023’s legislative session, bills did not pass that would have established police fireworks enforcement units or increased fines on property owners who allow the use of aerials on their properties.
The only bill related to illegal fireworks that was signed into law created the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, an interagency task force coordinated by the state Department of Law Enforcement. The task force comprises state narcotics agents, deputy sheriffs, county police officers, the Department of the Attorney General and federal agencies including Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
After its inception in July, the task force interdicted a total of 147,610 pounds of illegal fireworks, according to Law Enforcement Director Jordan Lowe. Most of the illegal fireworks were intercepted via seizures of shipping containers from the mainland at Honolulu Harbor.
The task force also conducted a fireworks amnesty day in mid-December that invited the public to turn in illegal fireworks, no questions asked, and monitored shipments via air cargo, postal mail and common carriers. The task force created an anonymous tip line for the public to provide information about illegal fireworks importers and sellers.
Through the task force’s efforts, Lowe said, the department saw a decrease in illegal fireworks use in the days before and after New Year’s Eve, a decrease in the availability of illegal fireworks for purchase on the street, and an increase in prices.
“There were still injuries this year. Kids were still getting hurt — their hands, their faces. Last year somebody died,” Lowe said in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “The fact that there’s 147,000 pounds less, there’s less likelihood or chances of somebody getting hurt, and that’s our whole intent.”
Lowe said that there have been two arrests of people selling illegal fireworks since the task force was established. The task force is still investigating the importation of the seized shipments.
There were 2,240 fireworks-related calls to 911 between mid-November and Jan. 2, according to the Honolulu Police Department. HPD officials issued 82 warnings and 10 citations, made five arrests during this period and recovered almost 1,400 pounds of illegal fireworks.
As the 2024 legislative session approaches, two bills rolled over from 2023’s legislative session could further combat illegal fireworks if passed.
Senate Bill 37 would establish a shipping container inspection program to randomly check for “illegal fireworks and explosives,” while Senate Bill 251 would require county police departments to “purchase and deploy explosion detection technology” to find and respond to illegal firearms and fireworks incidents.
“The Honolulu Fire Department welcomes and supports any new legislation further restricting illegal fireworks, as this would meet the mission of the HFD to provide for a safer community. Fireworks strain public safety resources prior to and during New Year’s and Independence Day holidays by delaying responses to other emergencies. Fireworks cause injuries, fire smoke emissions, and noise that affect the safety and health of our citizens,” Battalion Chief Jean-Claude Bisch of HFD’s Fire Prevention Bureau said in a statement. “While we realize and appreciate the cultural significance fireworks have and continue to play in our community, it is imperative that those values and beliefs are balanced with responsible and safe practices.”
