Purchases can be made until 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to a Honolulu Fire Department press release issued this morning.

A $25 permit, which may be bought at any Satellite City Hall, is required when purchasing consumer fireworks from licensed retail sites. Permits must be used in the year issued and only for the designated holiday.

Licensed retailers must not sell more than 5,000 individual firecrackers per permit.

On July Fourth, firecrackers may be set off, ignited or discharged between 1 and 9 p.m. Aerial fireworks are prohibited.

Handle fireworks carefully

In 2005, O'ahu emergency rooms treated 37 people for firework-related injuries, according to the state Department of Health.

Nationwide, there were an estimated 10,800 people treated, as reported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Also that year, the HFD reported firework-related fires caused about $420,000 in property damage.

The National Fire Protection Association surveyed fire departments nationwide and found that in 2004, firework-related fires caused about $21 million in property damage.

Tips for safe use of fireworks