Three people were transported to Oahu hospitals with fireworks-related injuries as island residents ushered in the new year with legal and illegal pyrotechnics.

Honolulu firefighters responded to 37 fires apparently caused by fireworks between midnight and 8:45 p.m. yesterday. The legal time period for setting off fireworks is from 9 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1.

There was no serious property damage reported.

Some 8,055 fireworks permits were sold at satellite city halls, a sizable increase over the 6,924 permits issued in 2008.

“;We're concerned about the obvious proliferation of illegal fireworks,”; said fire Capt. Terry Seelig. “;Some of them qualify as explosives.”;

City ambulance crews took a man from a Waipahu address to a hospital in serious condition with burns suffered shortly after midnight, said Bryan Cheplic of the city Emergency Medical Services division.

  Illegal aerials put HFD on edge

 

2009 ended with a holiday season plagued by illegal aerials and bomb-like explosions.

[ Watch ]

 

A teenage boy was taken to a hospital in serious condition from a Mailiili Road address in Waianae, and a child about 10 years old was treated for fireworks injuries on Lokowai Street in Waimalu, both in the early-morning hours yesterday.

Kalanianaole Highway was closed for about an hour at midday yesterday while 30 firefighters fought a wildfire that burned about five acres of brush near the Hawaii Kai Golf Course. Police began contraflowing traffic in the makai lane of the highway about 12:15 p.m. and reopened both lanes after the fire was extinguished about 2:45 p.m., Seelig said.

Strong winds pushed the fire up the ridge on undeveloped land, but two helicopters making water drops stopped the fire's advance, Seelig said. No one was injured and no property was damaged in the fire.

Rainfall aided fire crews on New Year's Eve. “;Because of rain in the late evening, we were able to get a handle on a fire in a large open area in Waialua”; and also one on Geiger Road in Ewa, he said.

Fire companies also responded to one vehicle fire, 16 rubbish fires and eight trash-bin fires apparently started by fireworks.

Seelig said firefighters also were called to several scenes because alarm systems were activated. “;The volume of smoke as well as percussive force causes alarms to activate,”; he said. “;There was a lot of smoke this year.”;