Parents warned about new arson laws

New arson laws passed by the state earlier this year could spark concern among parents when it comes to fireworks and their children.

That's because parents would have to pay for damage from fires caused by their children, even if the blaze is started accidentally by the reckless use of fireworks.

Police say it is now easier to press arson charges against people starting a fire, even if it was not intentional. Police need to prove only that the person knew the act would cause a fire and recklessly did so anyway, said Detective Nani Hee, of the Honolulu Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division.

The laws also defined arson as a new class of property damage, punishable by five to 20 years or more in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

"The felonies have gone up, and the state of mind has gone down," Hee said.

Previously, the law stated that the offender would need to have intentionally caused the fire. With the words "knowingly" and "recklessly" tossed into the language, "if we can prove that this person knew that this would cause a brush fire, that's all we need," Hee said.

It would still be difficult in catching suspects or finding witnesses, but Hee said police will be enforcing the law. With the expected increase in patrols this holiday season, Hee said parents should keep watch over their young ones.

"The reason for these laws is to protect the community," Hee said. "We don't know what the winds will be like that day. We just ask that everyone takes caution."

Police will also be enforcing fireworks laws, which dictate that fireworks can be shot only from 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve to 1 a.m. on New Year's Day.*

Fireworks may be set off only with a permit, which are sold for $25 at satellite city halls. As of Tuesday, 7,036 permits have been sold, compared with 8,832 sold on Dec. 27. Last year, Dec. 26 was considered a holiday.