Trade winds and light rain helped keep down smoke levels on O'ahu and Maui during this year's New Year's celebrations, according to the state Department of Health's Clean Air Branch.

The American Lung Association of Hawai'i suspects an additional cause also played a part: Thousands of University of Hawai'i football fans who would otherwise blow off fireworks in the Islands were celebrating the New Year in New Orleans.

"There may have been fewer people partying here because they were partying over there," said Jean Evans, the group's executive director. "It was still not a good night for many people who have trouble breathing. But overall, most people said it was not so bad this year."

Air-monitoring stations in Honolulu, Pearl City, Kapolei and Kihei, Maui, showed lower levels of bad air compared to last year. The highest level of particulates this year was recorded at Kapolei at 1 a.m., with more than 500 micrograms per cubic meter.

Pearl City had the highest 24-hour average, which dropped from 45 micrograms per cubic meter New Year's Eve to 43 just after the start of the New Year.

By comparison, Kapolei a year ago recorded 75 micrograms per cubic meter just after the New Year began.

"This year was a better year," said Lisa Young, environmental health specialist with the Clean Air Branch. "It was definitely wetter this year."

Preliminary reports show that Honolulu firefighters responded to 57 fireworks-related fires in the three-day period from Dec. 30 to New Year's Day — fewer than the 61 logged last year during the same three-day span.

One man suffered burns on about 20 percent of his body in a fireworks accident, and there were a handful of minor injuries. A woman in her 30s reported difficulty breathing because of fireworks smoke exposure.

A fireworks-related blaze also burned a Waikele garage, and a wildfire burned less than 100 square feet of brush on the Leeward Coast.

"It's hard to measure fireworks use," said HFD Capt. Terry Seelig. "We do know that (firecracker) permit sales were down while imports of novelties were up. Anecdotally, there were lots of people from all parts of the island telling us that they saw a lot of aerial fireworks. Some appeared to be a different class of explosive. They were more bang than flash, with very, very loud percussive sounds like a mortar shell."

Despite less smoky air, the American Lung Association of Hawai'i still received complaints from people who sequestered themselves in their homes with particle masks or wet washcloths over their noses and mouths.

"Plenty of people still had problems breathing," Evans said. "This is a terrible night for them."

Hawai'i has the second highest rate in the nation for children younger than 17 who suffer from asthma: 40,000 kids, or 11 percent of the Islands' childhood population. Another 75,000 to 81,000 adults also have asthma,.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.