HONOLULU — Mike Lambert heard fewer illegal fireworks exploding in his suburban Honolulu neighborhood in the months after a chain of blasts at a house party last New Year’s Eve led to the deaths of six people, including a 3-year-old boy.
As the director of Hawaii’s Department of Law Enforcement, Lambert wondered if the tragedy had sparked a shift in Hawaii residents’ penchant for igniting illegal fireworks. In some neighborhoods, it would be common to hear loud booms any time of day or night — for sporting events, celebrations or no apparent reason at all.
But this year, authorities are armed with stiffer laws created in the wake of the tragedy and will be giving out citations to offenders, Lambert warned.
“We have no delusions that you can have a tragedy New Year’s, you can sign a law in July and then not have anything go off the following year,” he said. Still, he expects that some people will decide not to set off fireworks, either because of last year’s deadly accident or the stepped-up enforcement and new laws.
“Before, you could shoot it off with impunity,” said state Rep. Scot Matayoshi, who was author of two of the five anti-fireworks bills. “Everyone knew they weren’t going to bust you.”
Police can now issue $300 tickets to those who shoot off fireworks, while repeat offenders and people whose actions cause serious injury or death could get prison time for felony crimes.
Matayoshi said he began working on legislation the morning after the tragedy, which took place at a New Year’s Eve 2025 celebration when crates of illegal fireworks tipped over and ignited in the Aliamanu neighborhood, illuminating the sky in a terrifying set of explosions that left more than a dozen people with severe burns.
“It affected me a lot,” Matayoshi said. “I couldn’t imagine being the neighbor of someone who had basically bombs in their house going off and hurting and killing my kids.”
None of the 12 people arrested have been charged with a crime. Honolulu police said they’re working with prosecutors in seeking charges.
A hopeful sign was an amnesty event last month where people turned in 500 pounds of illegal fireworks, Lambert said. His department has also increased searches at all ports, noting that illegal fireworks shipped to Hawaii often have ties to organized crime.
As of earlier this month, Honolulu police said officers had issued 10 fireworks citations. Matayoshi said the number is an improvement from zero in past years. He expects it to jump dramatically on New Year’s Eve.
Firecrackers to ring in the new year have long been popular in Hawaii, but about a decade ago, professional-grade aerials started becoming common.
“You’re seeing fireworks that were meant to be let off at like stadium and hotel events,” Lambert said. Those pyrotechnics have a 900-foot blast radius, but are exploding in tightly packed neighborhoods where homes are often just a few feet apart, he said.
Army veteran Simeon Rojas grew up on Oahu in the 1980s and ’90s and enjoyed setting off firecrackers and lighting sparklers on New Year’s Eve. He considers fireworks part of the local culture and tradition.
But when fireworks suddenly explode when he’s at home in Honolulu’s Kalihi Valley, “it does rock my heart,” he said. It also triggers his post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It gives me flashbacks,” he said. “I stay with my wife and kids on New Year’s Eve, so I feel safe.”
Kelleher writes for the Associated Press.
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