HONOLULU (KHON2) — The deadly explosion has sparked urgent calls from law enforcement and elected officials to reassess how illegal fireworks laws are enforced and what must change to avoid more tragedy.
Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi made himself very clear after the devastation on New Year’s Day.
“Enough is enough. This situation is out of control and it can not be allowed to continue, we will not allow it to continue,” Blangiardi said.
The Honolulu mayor and Gov. Josh Green said they are in the process of coordinating with federal and State officials to impose tougher penalties on distributors and implement new technologies to stop shipments of the explosives.
“So you have to realize illegal fireworks is, it’s contraband, it’s criminal contraband. So, they are follow the same smuggling patterns as, you know, illegal drugs, you know, as illegal ghost guns,” said Department of Law Enforcement director Jordan Lowe.
The DLE Illegal Fireworks Task Force seized 40,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from ports in 2024, but in 2023 the amount seized was more than four times greater — 187,000 pounds.
Director Lowe also confirmed reports of threats made by the smuggling network to discourage residents from tipping authorities off.
“We have in the past, but I’m not going to go into that,” Lowe said of the threats.
The chair of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee said he will focus on funding sting operations — where agents go undercover to thwart smuggling rings — next legislative session.
“I think the stings could have a huge chilling effect on both the market for selling and the market for buying. And most normal people are not going to risk trying to buy illegal fireworks if they think that it’s possible the other person might be a police officer,” Rep. Scot Matayoshi said. “It just depends on what kind of resources they have to bear and what kind of resources the legislature is willing to give them.”
The DLE director agreed that curbing demand will result in less supply and — while no one does New Year’s like the Islands — deaths should never become tradition.
“Illegal fireworks, you know, it is cultural. We all understand that. But I think we need to start working with the public more in terms of education because it is dangerous,” Lowe said.
Lowe added that charges have not yet been filed and every one of the four major fireworks seizures at local ports that date back to December, 2023 are still under investigation.
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DLE officials said 14 citations have been issued to people who used fireworks in recent weeks.