By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Accompanied by the leaders of three of the City and County of Honolulu’s first responder agencies, Mayor Rick Blangiardi on Tuesday urged residents and visitors across Oʻahu to ring in the New Year safely by only using legal, permitted firecrackers to celebrate the holiday.
Aerial fireworks, as well as fountains, sparklers and other consumer fireworks, have been illegal on Oʻahu since 2011. Last year, Honolulu Emergency Services responded to numerous medical emergencies involving fireworks on New Year’s Eve, and a 28-year-old Wahiawa man died following a fireworks-related incident.
In a separate case, a 20-year-old Hawaiʻi Island man died earlier this year following a fireworks-related incident on the Fourth of July.
“Every year we warn about the incredible dangers of fireworks, yet every year there is a population of people who disregard that message and cause great harm to themselves or others, including young children,” said Dr. Jim Ireland, the director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. “Suffering fatal injuries, or ending up in an emergency room with a limb missing due to a firework exploding, is a tragedy that is completely preventable.”
Wildfires resulting from fireworks are also a major concern, especially in parts of the island where dry conditions persist.
“Fireworks pose a legitimate threat to people and property, and we all need to do more to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe from senseless tragedy,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “Fireworks are dangerous and are illegal for a reason, and we must learn the tragic lessons from recent catastrophic fires and realize that fireworks could easily spark the next disaster.”
“We must be mindful of how quickly recent wildfires spread and destroyed lives and property. We should never assume or take anything for granted,” said Honolulu Fire Department Chief Sheldon Hao. “Our records show a significant increase of fireworks-related fire calls in 2022 as compared to 2021, and we are concerned about the upward trend of wildland fires in our community, as they are more susceptible to them.”
Honolulu Fire Department officials say they responded to 16 fireworks-related fire calls last year.
If members of the public observe any violation of fireworks laws, they should call 911 to report illegal behavior to the Honolulu Police Deaprtment. The caller is encouraged to meet with the responding officer and provide a written statement, and the officer can assist the caller with the submission of photographs or recordings that depict the violation and suspect.
Based on the information provided to the officer, he or she may take enforcement action if probable cause exists.
“Our message is simple: We’re urging everyone to follow the law and celebrate responsibly,” said Chief Joe Logan of the Honolulu Police Department. “Every year, lives are tragically impacted due to the poor decision making and carelessness of others. Let’s change that and make it a safer holiday season for our community.”
From November 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022, the Honolulu Police Department made 13 arrests and issued approximately 150 citations for fireworks-related offenses on Oʻahu. HPD will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to prevent the distribution and use of illegal fireworks, pyrotechnics, and any other forms of non-consumer fireworks.