Even on what police agree was a quieter than usual New Year’s Eve, law enforcement officers responded to nearly 600 calls about illegal fireworks — a sign, some officials say, that more drastic measures are needed to address the state’s flow of illegal pyrotechnics.

Mike Lambert, director of the state’s Department of Law Enforcement, said on New Year’s Eve that he wants lawmakers to enact a total ban on fireworks for five years, including firecrackers and pyrotechnics used in professional displays, to support his department’s crackdown on illegal explosives. 

The idea, which he raised during a media event on Dec. 31, would be to make it easier for officials to stop illegal fireworks from being smuggled in through the ports and root out the rest of the black market supply throughout the islands.

Some lawmakers, though, say they’re unsure about an all-out ban and would like to hear more detailed recommendations from the Department of Law Enforcement and the Honolulu Police Department.

The reaction from lawmakers last year was swift in the wake of a fireworks explosion in the Āliamanu neighborhood that killed six people and injured dozens. But it remains to be seen what bills will be introduced this year to enhance the state’s fireworks enforcement. 

State Rep. Scot Matayoshi, who authored a bill that passed last year increasing penalties for certain fireworks offenses, said he’s “on the fence” about a total ban, but is happy to be having discussions about how to continue reducing illegal fireworks activity in the state. 

Matayashi said he felt lawmakers had been “hitting a wall” for years trying to rein in fireworks and likes the “out-of-the-box thinking” Lambert is proposing to aggressively clamp down.

Fewer Injuries, More Calls 

While there were far fewer fireworks-related injuries and incidents this New Year’s Eve, Honolulu police responded to nearly 50% more calls for fireworks violations as they did the previous year. 

Between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, police responded to 592 calls for fireworks violations compared to 395 during the same time period the year before. More than half of the calls occurred after 10 p.m. 

It’s unclear if there were more violators overall or if people were more likely to report their neighbors because of a growing intolerance for illegal fireworks use.

Police issued 29 fireworks citations on New Year’s Eve and arrested two people, police spokesman Kerry Yoshida said in a statement on Monday. One person was arrested for setting off an aerial firework and another for lighting firecrackers without a permit. Charges have not yet been filed in either case. 

Lambert said in a statement Monday that investigators are still going through hours of drone video and multiple tips submitted to the department’s tip line. Twelve law enforcement drones patrolled the skies on New Year’s Eve to help direct officers on the ground and record people shooting off fireworks in public areas.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement he was disappointed in the number of arrests and citations and thought there should have been more.

“The City will continue to enforce the law and hold violators accountable whenever possible,” the statement says. “To our residents who did the right thing and chose safety over spectacle, mahalo. You are the reason we are seeing progress.”

The lead-up to New Year’s Eve was far quieter than it was last year. Calls for fireworks violations between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2025 were down 80% over the same time period in 2024. There were fewer major incidents, too. 

The Honolulu Emergency Services Department reported seven injuries on New Year’s Eve, six of which were serious. No fireworks-related deaths were reported, according to the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office. 

Last year, in addition to the six deaths caused by the Āliamanu blast, a 19-year-old in Kalihi died in a separate fireworks accident, and paramedics transported four other injured people to local hospitals. Two people were pronounced dead on scene after the Āliamanu blast and four others died later in hospitals from their injuries.

Officials hypothesized that this year was quieter because people were aware of the heightened penalties fireworks offenses now carry. 

Anyone involved in a fireworks incident that causes serious injury or death can be charged with a class A or B felony now. Police can also issue $300-civil citations to anyone caught lighting 5 pounds or less of illegal fireworks. Citations carry a lower standard of proof than what would be required for a criminal case. 

The Department of Law Enforcement also intercepted 61 tons of illegal fireworks over the course of the year and made five felony arrests. Those arrested have not yet been indicted.

Lambert said on New Year’s Eve that it would take time for authorities to chip away at illegal fireworks use, something many in Hawaiʻi s​​ee as a longstanding tradition. 

“Thinking I could wipe it out in one year, there’s no way,” he said. “As long as there’s a notable difference, that’s the goal.” 

Is A Ban The Answer? 

An all-out ban on fireworks would allow investigators to flag any shipment of explosives coming in through the Honolulu port, Lambert said. Many fireworks that are sold on the black market are smuggled in with shipments of commercial pyrotechnics. 

Matayoshi said he’s interested in the idea, though he’s unsure about including red paper firecrackers in the ban, which are a cultural tradition for many Chinese and Filipino communities. 

“I’m not totally against it, but I think I need to hear the testimony first,” he said. “I need more information.” 

Dan Ramsauer, a show producer with Pyro Spectaculars, a fireworks company that puts on annual displays throughout Hawaiʻi, said banning fireworks altogether could have the opposite effect. 

Going to professional shows allows families a safe and legal outlet to enjoy fireworks, he said. Eliminating that option could lead to more illegal use. 

“The more you cut off professional displays, the more people are encouraged to use illegal fireworks,” he said. 

State Sen. Carol Fukunaga, who is chair of the Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee, said she wants to hear recommendations from the Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department before deciding how she feels about any fireworks-related legislation. She said she is pleased, though, by reports that last year’s ramped-up enforcement appears to have helped. 

“It was encouraging to see that some areas reported that they had far less illegal fireworks or homemade bombs going off,” she said. “But there was still a lot of activity in Hawaiʻi.” ​​

Matayoshi thinks the fireworks bill passed last year was key to helping cut down on illegal activity. But the fact that there were still injuries, four of which occurred in his district in Kāneʻohe, shows more work needs to be done. 

“I was a little disappointed,” he said. “I do think that people haven’t completely got the message yet on how dangerous fireworks are.”