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The new year had barely begun when my Āliamanu/Salt Lake neighborhood was shaken to its core by a tragedy we are still struggling to process.

Just days ago, a massive explosion on Keaka Drive, caused by illegal fireworks, claimed the lives of at least three people and left more than 20 others hospitalized, many with devastating, life-altering injuries.

As a resident of this community, this tragedy hits painfully close to home. What should have been a night of celebration turned into a harrowing reminder of the escalating dangers illegal fireworks pose to our neighborhoods.

In Hawaiʻi, fireworks have always been a cherished tradition. Growing up, I looked forward to lighting firecrackers with my family to welcome the New Year — a practice grounded in joy, hope, and togetherness. These traditions are about celebration and connection, rooted in a cultural heritage that unites us.

But what we are seeing today is not tradition. Illegal aerial fireworks and homemade explosives, like those responsible for this tragic event, have no place in our communities.

They are dangerous weapons, turning celebrations into disasters and undermining the very essence of what these traditions are meant to represent.

First responders at the scene described injuries reminiscent of a battlefield — shrapnel wounds, and severe burns. EMS Director Jim Ireland called it one of the worst scenes many seasoned paramedics and firefighters had ever witnessed.

The trauma extends beyond the victims and their families to those who bear the heavy burden of responding to these preventable tragedies. Our first responders are often left to clean up the literal and emotional wreckage caused by illegal fireworks, risking their own safety in the process.

Statewide Issue

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Across Oʻahu, New Year’s Eve brought multiple reports of injuries from illegal fireworks. A 14-year-old boy in Kalihi lost part of his hand, and several adults were critically injured in separate explosions.

For too many, what should have been a night of renewal instead became a night of heartbreak and loss.
Let’s be clear: Illegal fireworks are not harmless fun. As Gov. Josh Green noted, they are essentially bombs. They disrupt neighborhoods, destroy property, and endanger lives.

Worse, they strain our already overburdened emergency services, forcing our first responders to navigate chaos and danger instead of spending the holiday with their own families. In today’s dry and unpredictable climate, where the risk of wildfires looms large, the stakes are even higher. The potential for widespread disaster is no longer hypothetical — it’s imminent.

State and local leaders have pledged to act, and we must stand with them. Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Gov. Green have called for tougher enforcement, harsher penalties, and innovative solutions such as drone surveillance, acoustic detection systems, and stricter harbor inspections to stop the flow of illegal fireworks into Hawaiʻi.

But this problem isn’t just about enforcement — it’s about education. We need to shift public attitudes and help our communities understand the risks these illegal fireworks pose, not just to those who use them, but to their families, their neighbors, and our entire state.

This isn’t about erasing Hawaiʻi’s firework traditions. It’s about preserving them safely. Firecrackers and sparklers, when used responsibly, can remain a treasured part of our celebrations.

But the dangerous illegal aerials and homemade explosives we’re seeing today have no place in these traditions. They turn joyful festivities into nights of terror and devastation.

As a Salt Lake resident, I am grieving alongside my community for the lives lost and the families shattered by this horrific event. But I am also hopeful. Hopeful that this tragedy can lead to real, lasting change.

Let’s honor the victims by taking decisive action to prevent more lives from being lost. Let’s honor our first responders by ensuring their safety isn’t needlessly jeopardized.

And let’s protect the traditions we hold dear by drawing a clear line between responsible celebration and reckless endangerment.

The Salt Lake explosion must be a turning point. We cannot allow this to happen again — not in my neighborhood, not in yours, not anywhere in Hawaiʻi.