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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 26, 2003

Adequate supply of fireworks expected for New Year's

 •  Chart: Fireworks permits issued

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A last-minute rush on firecracker permit sales last year exhausted supplies at stores and left many people holding worthless permits.

Two days before last New Year's Eve, shoppers perused the aisles at the Daiei Holiday Mart for deals on fireworks. A last-minute rush exhausted supplies.

Advertiser library photo • December 30, 2002

But unless there is a dramatic increase in the number of people who buy the $25 permits, there should be an adequate supply of firecrackers this year. The Honolulu Fire Department, which keeps track of firecrackers that enter the island, said three times as many cases have been imported to O'ahu this year compared with last year.

"Last year we had just over 1,000 cases of firecrackers come in," said fire spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane. "This year we've had almost 3,000 cases."

Kane said there also was an increase in the amount of novelty fireworks, which do not require a permit, shipped to the island. Last year, 48,000 cases were brought in, compared with 71,000 cases this year, he said.

At the Daiei store at Kaheka, assistant manager Gary Tang said the same amount of fireworks were ordered this year as last. But he said the store will try to get more firecrackers from vendors.

"Every year we sell out. That's the objective," Tang said. "We don't want to have over-stock at the end of the fireworks sale."

Firecrackers go on sale to the public today and end at 9 p.m. Dec. 31. A $25 permit is needed to purchase 5,000 pieces of firecrackers, but there is no limit to the number of permits a person can have.

Permits are available at all satellite city halls. Fireworks can be set off legally from 9 p.m. New Year's Eve until 1 a.m. Jan. 1.

Last year, Honolulu issued 6,100 fireworks permits. The number of licenses issued for fireworks storage facilities jumped threefold this year to 15, while 102 retail licenses were issued, up from 94 last year. Seven licenses were granted to those wishing to import fireworks to the island this year, as opposed to four in 2002, Kane said.

On the Neighbor Islands, while figures weren't available for this year, statistics show that in 2002 the Big Island issued the most retail licenses, 32, and the most consumer permits, 2,158. Maui County issued 18 retail licenses and 424 permits, while Kaua'i County issued 15 retail licenses and 404 permits.

Each year, a number of people are injured by fireworks, officials said. According to statistics, 59 people statewide suffered fireworks-related injuries last year, 26 fewer than the year before, when 85 people were injured.

Fires are also attributed to fireworks each year, with 81 of the 369 fires on O'ahu last year listed as fireworks-related. The Big Island had 36 fireworks-related fires, while Maui had 20 and Kaua'i had one.

Kane said the Honolulu Fire Department has no plans to add extra staff during the height of New Year's celebrations because heavy rains earlier this month are expected to reduce the risk of firecracker-related blazes and counteract a possible boost in fireworks sales.

"The recent rains have definitely worked in our favor," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.

• • • 

Fireworks permits issued

2000 2001 2002
Honolulu County 6,234 4,401 6,100
Hawai'i County 2,552 2,655 2,158
Maui County 528 491 424
Kaua'i County 615 416 404
Total 9,929 7,963 9,086
Source: Honolulu Fire Department