Firework safety reminders ahead of July Fourth and wildland fire risk

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Fire officials are asking communities to be mindful of wildland fire risks and to be a good neighbor when it comes time to set off fireworks for the Fourth of July.

Fireworks are illegal on Oahu while firecrackers are allowed with a permit. On the neighbor islands, sparklers and fountains can be set off during approved hours between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July Fourth only. Violators may be fined up to $2,000, according to the Maui County Fire Department.

“Each permit is right now $25 and allows the holder to purchase up to 5,000 individual firecrackers,” stated Hawaii Fire Department’s Fire Chief Todd Kazuo.

Keep in mind the following state regulations:

• It is unlawful to purchase aerial luminary devices such as floating lanterns.
• Fireworks near hospitals, nursing homes, public schools, and churches need to be set off at least 1,000 feet away.
• It is illegal for any person to offer for sale or to give fireworks to minors. Minors must be under adult supervision to set off fireworks.

Kazuo added that it is good practice to douse remnants of fireworks with water to prevent fires. Although the weather is nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year, that doesn’t mean there is no fire danger, per the National Weather Service (NWS).

“The latest drought monitor shows that quite a bit of the state is into the abnormally dry category,” said NWS Meteorologist Derek Wroe. “That’s not atypical for summertime around here but you could still have fires out there under these conditions.”

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Parts of Maui are also drier compared to other islands, stated NWS.

“Those portions of Maui, especially southern Maui, are a lot drier and the fire risk would be more elevated there. Even under typical trade wind conditions,” said Wroe.

When it comes to safety, Big Island fire officials say it’s a community effort as we head into the dry season.

“We are coming up into the peak of the size and the number of fires. We see an increase starting in May, peaking in August, and then coming back down to a normal base level around October,” Chief Kazuo said.