Permit sales for fireworks are down

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

The sale of city permits to purchase firecrackers for the Fourth of July is off to a slow start.

Twenty-nine people had bought permits as of yesterday, compared with 36 sales at the same time last year.

But the number of permits sold has been increasing every year. Last year, 139 permits were purchased, compared with 119 permits in 2002 and 89 in 2001, said Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kenison Tejada.

Permits were first required on O'ahu for New Year's 2001.

The sale of fireworks for the Fourth of July runs through 9 p.m. Friday at all licensed retail sites. A permit is required to purchase firecrackers. Permits may be purchased for $25 each at any Satellite City Hall during normal business hours.

On O'ahu, firecrackers may be set off from 1 to 9 p.m. on July Fourth.

Tejada said firefighters are concerned about brushfires because rainfall has been low this season.

Last Fourth of July, O'ahu firefighters responded to 22 fireworks-related alarms, nearly half of the day's 46 alarms. Seventeen brushfires, four rubbish fires and one building fire were caused by fireworks, Tejada said.

Tejada said the number of fire alarms is always up on New Year's and the Fourth of July. He suggested leaving fireworks to the professionals who will give a series of public displays around the island.

The largest display, presented by Ala Moana Center, will be at Magic Island.

Sherry Souza, lead pyrotechnician with Pyro Spectaculars, said the company will set off thousands of fireworks during the Ala Moana show this year.

"Hearing the crowd is our measure of success," Souza said. "Even though we are working there right in the middle of it — and it is a war zone — you can still hear the reaction of the crowd. To us, that is all that counts."

Carrying fireworks on planes or placing them in baggage is illegal. The Transportation Security Administration says any person carrying fireworks onto an aircraft or attempting to ship them illegally faces fines of up to $30,000 per violation and five years in prison.

That includes fireworks of all shapes and sizes, from sparklers and poppers to cherry bombs and rockets, according to the federal agency.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year, 8,000 people are treated for injuries associated with fireworks.

HFD offers these fireworks safety tips:

• Use only approved fireworks from a licensed retail outlet.
• Always read and follow warnings and instructions.
• Ensure that other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Fireworks should be lit only on a smooth, flat surface away from buildings, dry vegetation and flammable materials.
• Have a garden hose or a bucket of water ready in the event of fire.
• Children should only use fireworks under the supervision of an adult. Sparklers can also be dangerous to small children.

The use of aerial fireworks is prohibited, unless the fire chief issues a public display permit, the department said. HFD's Fire Prevention Bureau issues permits to licensed pyrotechnic operators for $110 each.

For more information, call the Honolulu Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau at 831-7764 or 831-7765.