Honolulu's skies will remain clear of the flickering light from consumer fireworks, as Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced his intention to veto a contentious bill that would reverse a decade-old ban on ground display fireworks. The statement comes following a City Council decision to pass Bill 22, against the recommendations of the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD), as reported by Hawaii News Now.
In his resolve, Blangiardi sided with the fire department asserting, "Given the Honolulu Fire Department’s strong opposition, and with an eye toward increasingly drier weather conditions and ever-worsening wildfire concerns, I cannot in good conscience allow Bill 22 to become law," a stance that marks his first veto against legislation passed by the City Council. HFD's opposition is rooted in preventing the inevitable rise of fires and medical emergencies, a concern that seems to outweigh the argument for cultural tradition and black market deterrence put forth by councilmembers supporting the bill. The department has credited the current ban with a significant reduction in fireworks-related fires, and according to KITV, a more than 70% decrease in fireworks-related injuries.
On the other side, Councilmember Calvin Say introduced the bill claiming the current ban has been ineffective and has only driven residents towards illegal aerial fireworks. Say stated on Hawaii News Now, "I’d like to state for the record that consumer fireworks were not the contributors to a lot of our wildfires. It is what we call today the illegal aerials that has been causing a lot of problems to the districts that we all represent." However, HFD Assistant Chief Craig Ichimura highlighted that the ban's "net decrease in injuries structure fires and wildland fires" shows its efficacy in safeguarding the community.
Meanwhile, Councilmember Augie Tulba argued that the total ban has not been a deterrent to illegal fireworks activity. "Having a total ban hasn’t worked. If anything, it has fueled the black market. With this bill, families will have a safe way to purchase fireworks, and it’s a responsibility of each family and constitute to ensure that we are going to handle fireworks in a safe manner," Tulba told Hawaii News Now.
