Fire officials still want total ban on fireworks

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

The number of firecrackers coming to the island has dropped dramatically since a permit system was introduced in 2000, but with sparklers, fountains and other novelties still unrestricted, the Honolulu Fire Department continues to push for a total ban on fireworks.

Fire officials had worried there would be more damage on New Year's Eve after importers brought to O'ahu nearly three times as many cases of firecrackers than in 2002.

However, Wednesday's rain led to a safer holiday, with fireworks causing no serious injuries and six fires, compared to 50 in 2002.

In addition, HFD received about 575 fireworks-related calls between 6 a.m. Dec. 26 and Friday, a 28 percent decrease from 2002.

Despite the increase in firecrackers sold, the number is still below what it had been before the permit system was put in place, according to HFD Acting Chief John Clark.

"There were more brought in and more permits issued, but there was no comparison to previous years when the sale was unlimited," he said.

In that way, the permit system has effectively reduced the number of firecrackers sold. "We think that the permit system is working very well," Clark said.

More than 8,300 permits were sold this year through Dec. 30 and more were sold the next day.

Consumers left holding $25 permits after the firecracker supply ran out might disagree, especially since the state law does not allow refunds. However, the permits are good for one year and can be used on Chinese New Year (Jan. 22) and the Fourth of July. Or if purchased after Dec. 26, they can be used to buy firecrackers for the next new year.

The permit system applies only to firecrackers, which has "led to an increase in the novelty fireworks," Clark said. For New Year's Eve in 2003, vendors brought in 71,327 cases of novelty items such as sparklers, fountains and jumping jacks, up from 47,985 in 2002.

From the Fire Department's standpoint, novelty items are not much safer than firecrackers. "They're about equal," Clark said. "A lot of the novelty stuff does generate sparks, some of them jump, some of them twirl, they get into junk and rubbish, and they do start nuisance fires."

Rather than ask the Legislature to include the novelty items in the permit law, Clark said the department is maintaining its position that all fireworks should be banned.

The Legislature may not even take up the issue again this year after being split last year on whether to change the $25 permit fee.

"I think the Legislature is comfortable now with the system as it is," Clark said.

Gov. Linda Lingle said the issue should not be before state lawmakers, but should be decided by the individual counties. Some counties are more rural than others, and therefore might have differing views regarding the fireworks, she said.

Douglas Yee, past president and board member for the American Lung Association, said there has been dramatically less smoke over O'ahu since the permit system was put in place. "I think everyone is being more responsible," he said.

On this New Year's Eve, he noticed a lot of haze in the air that he described as more smoggy than smoky. However, as he drove along H-1 toward midnight he saw the lower areas — Kahala, Kalihi, Pearl City and Waipahu — definitely had a lot of smoke from fireworks.

"It looked like it was sort of in a bowl from Makakilo to Kahala," he said.

In Waipahu and Pearl City the smoke was so thick he had difficulty seeing the tail lights on the car in front of him.

The Lung Association was pleased the rain put a damper on fireworks activity, but was less happy that the wind was down and not helping the smoke dissipate faster. In Ho-nolulu, the association gave away 300 masks to help people breathe.

Yee has also noticed a rise in novelty fireworks. "The display ones are very pretty and everything, but they do emit a huge amount of smoke," he said. "That is another concern."

He said the board of directors would likely discuss what position to take about the novelty fireworks at a later meeting.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.