By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Sales of fireworks began with a bang yesterday. Above,
Ben Yamamoto and Sean Castro, holding boxes of fireworks,
and Junior Dumlao waited to pay at Daiei.
Firefighters prepare
for New Year’s
Sales of fireworks are booming,
By Craig Gima
and the fire department hopes rain
will stifle any brush fires
Star-BulletinWaianae fire Capt. Richard Machado is praying for rain. And if the first day of fireworks sales is any indication, the fire department will need it.
About two or three days before New Year's Eve, Machado said, kids set off fireworks that start brush fires.
"We experience the same thing every year," he said. "If it's going to start, it's going to start. We just hope it doesn't injure anybody or damage any homes."
For police, the beginning of fireworks season marks an increase in the number of complaints about people setting off fireworks illegally.
"We're on the lookout, and we'll take enforcement action on all illegal fireworks being sold or used," said Assistant Honolulu Police Chief Keith Pocock.
Pocock said undercover officers bought and seized illegal aerial fireworks from a home last week.
Those seeking to buy legal fireworks jostled for space with last-minute Christmas shoppers in the aisles of the Daiei store on Kaheka Street earlier this week.
Crowds of people gathered around nearly empty shelves waiting for clerks to bring out more firecrackers.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Aimee Miyashiro showed her 5-year-old, Chelsea,
some fireworks while her husband, Kirt, looked
over other fireworks.
When a pallet filled with boxes of 100,000 firecrackers came out, people swarmed to it, grabbing four or five boxes at a time, said customer Nathan Oda."A cloud of dust rose over the crowd," Oda said. "One guy's eyes were all red, and he was still trying to grab firecrackers."
Outside the store, Corey Antonio and his friends pushed a shopping cart filled with more than a million firecrackers to their car.
"It's pretty cheap," Antonio said. "I bought more this year than last year."
Antonio and his buddies paid $274 for eight 100,000 boxes, two 50,000 boxes, four 20,000 boxes, 16 5,000 boxes, eight "bombs" and assorted other sizes of firecrackers.
Daiei Administrative Division Manager Conrad Sasaki said prices are about 10 percent lower than last year's prices because competition is expected to be higher.
All Red firecrackers, the cheapest brand Daiei sells, are priced at $2.49 for a pack of 5,000 and $4.59 for 10,000.
Duck brand firecrackers go for $16.97 for 5,000 and $34.97 for 10,000.
"The factory that produces Duck brand firecrackers just produces so much. They maintain their prices," said Irwin Uyeda, Daiei's merchandise manager. "We carry it because some people just have to have their Duck firecrackers."
"Demand for fireworks is better than the economy right now," said Dee Hamada of Taniguchi Store.
The store was even open on Christmas day to sell fireworks.
Workers have pushed aside cases of beer, wine and sake to make room for firecrackers, sparklers and fountains.
"For 357 days a year, we're a regular neighborhood store, but for eight days it's an exciting time for us," Hamada said.
Shipments of fireworks to the islands are about the same as last year, according to Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Charles Wassman.
Last month about 68 containers arrived in Honolulu.
Wassman also expects an abundant use of illegal aerial fireworks on New Year's Eve.
Since the state Legislature changed the law on fireworks three years ago, sales on Oahu have boomed.
Wassman said while the fire department would like to see all fireworks banned, it will not push lawmakers in the upcoming session to outlaw fireworks. Similar bills did not get out of committee last session.
Instead, the fire department will push to outlaw sales of fireworks through mail-order catalogs. It will also seek to expand the hours to ignite fireworks on New Year's Eve from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., to noon to 1 a.m.
"We're trying to work with the law to make it more responsive to the needs of the public," Wassman said.
The weather on New Year's Eve has been rainy on Oahu for the past two years. Wassman speculated that has helped keep the number of fireworks-related fires low.
"If we have less rainfall, New Year's Eve could be very chaotic for firefighters," Wassman said.
National Weather Service Forecaster Tim Craig said it's a little early to accurately predict the weather on New Year's Eve.
But forecasters do not see any organized storm systems approaching Hawaii, and mid-range forecast models show light tradewinds on Dec. 31.
Tips for coping with haze
from annual fireworksSmoke from fireworks can cause problems for Hawaii's 50,000 people with asthma and other lung diseases.The American Lung Association has these suggestions for people affected by the smoke:
Drink fluids to help cough and loosen mucus.
These suggestions are intended primarily for people with chronic lung disease but can also be useful for healthy people during times of severe smoke or haze.
