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Firecracker sales
exploding on Oahu
More city permits are being
issued, and sellers report sellouts
Firecrackers are like Christmas trees were a few weeks ago on Oahu -- scarce and selling out.
There are even reports of price gouging.
"It's crazy," said Tom Ching of Grocery Outlet in Kalihi, which sold its last boxes of firecrackers last night. "It's worse that last year (when stores ran out of firecrackers by New Year's Eve)."
Ching said he ordered 20 percent more firecrackers than last year and re-ordered Monday and yesterday. But his distributors don't have any left.
Most Daiei stores were also sold out by yesterday. Daiei Waipahu was expected to sell out of firecrackers this morning.
But some Star Market and Foodland stores still had firecrackers for sale.
Ching said his customers told him that some fireworks booths were selling strands of 25,000 firecrackers for more than $100. His price, when he had them, was $19.95.
Hallie Yoshimura, left, and sister Lauren looked over their shopping cart full of nonpermit fireworks last night at Grocery Outlet in Kalihi.
"My children are quite happy," she said.
Yoshimura said her family has been popping firecrackers "since I was little. It (firecrackers) is a must."
Lei Zafranco and her husband got to Grocery Outlet too late to buy firecrackers. They purchased four city permits for firecrackers at $25 each and left looking for a place that still had firecrackers for sale.
Fire Department spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane said as of Monday 8,632 of the firecracker permits had been sold, compared with 4,487 for the same period last year and a total of 8,792 for all of last year.
The explosion in fireworks sales this year and last year is prompting the county fire chiefs to ask the Legislature to revisit the 4-year-old firecracker permit law when lawmakers return to the Capitol next month.
"We're trying to find some means to minimize the hazards while still having some entertainment," said Kane.
"Crackling Thunder String" is a new type of paperless fireworks that apparently falls outside the permit law.
"There are different arrays of fireworks products, including fountains, spinners and flowers. A lot of times, these present a whole different set of problems," he said.
Kane said a new type of paperless crackling fireworks, similar to firecrackers, apparently falls outside of the permit law.
The law defines firecrackers, which require a permit as "single paper cylinders ... containing a charge of not more than 50 milligrams of pyrotechnic composition."
Ching said the paperless fireworks do not fall under the definition and do not require a permit.
Grocery Outlet, Daiei and other stores still have stocks of the paperless fireworks, which are billed as creating less rubbish and smoke.
A 12-foot roll of "Super Thunder Crackers" was selling for $6.17. Ching said the 18-foot rolls are sold out.
Clarence Callio was looking at buying some last night.
"My neighbor lit them," he said. "It's good. Same like the firecrackers, but it's not as loud."
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