As the new year approaches, various state and city departments have been busy rolling out programs to avoid the tragedy of the illegal fireworks explosion that killed six people, including a 3-year-old.
The Conversation heard from the director of the state Department of Law Enforcement, Mike Lambert, and Dr. Jim Ireland, head of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
On Wednesday, Honolulu Fire Department Deputy Chief Jason Samala joined HPR live in the studio.
Samala said that the HFD has been partnering with other law enforcement agencies and doing its own campaigns to promote public safety through the upcoming holidays.
“I'm hoping that the messaging and all the push by law enforcement is helping and making people realize, just don't go there,” he said, “I mean, it's unfortunate that we have to push the enforcement piece of of it and we're hoping that through that enforcement piece of it, or, public safety messaging, that they will take it upon themselves to be more responsible and think about, the families that they may be impacting if they choose to move forward and have fun in this way using aerial or illegal fireworks.”
Samala added that there are other forms of entertainment to ring in 2026, such as the professional firework shows. If you do choose to use firecrackers and have the proper permits, he recommended following specific safety precautions.
“Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Don't pop it anywhere near anything combustible. And at the end of the night, when you're ready to clean up, definitely put it in the bin, water it down, make sure it's completely out,” he said. “Don’t bring that garbage can back in the house or in a garage, because it could ignite and then cause a fire within your home. So ultimately, just think about yourself and your family and those around you who may be impacted if something really were to go wrong.”
Find HFD's fire line and safety tips through the holidays here.
This story aired on The Conversation on Dec. 24, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻiulani Coburn adapted this story for the web.
