Fireworks explosion kills three women on Oahu

[leilanidude]

Star_Advertisor

"Three women were killed and about two dozen people injured at an Aliamanu home when a “cake bomb” filled with illegal aerial fireworks set off massive explosions at 12:01 a.m. at a large New Year’s Eve party.

At an afternoon news conference Wednesday at the Honolulu Police Department’s headquarters, Gov. Josh Green, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and leaders of city agencies repeatedly used words like “horrific,” “gruesome,” and “a war zone” to describe the chaotic “mass casualty” event that first responders found when they arrived at 4137 Keaka Drive just after midnight.
“It was a bomb. It was a fireworks bomb. It was a bomb that exploded,” Green said. He said a person lit a “cake bomb,” which contained multiple aerials, that tipped over and fired the explosives into the home’s carport, igniting a huge cache of other fireworks."

[HiloJulie]

Thanks for posting this Dude.

In watching the destruction this incident caused in the news report posted below, the potential damage that could have been caused by this is amazing.

This could have set many houses ablaze. Could have killed many more. 

And now the calls for "tough enforcement" "new laws" all coming out of the woodwork. 

And for what? I really don't think that fireworks in Hawaii is going to be a topic that will just go away over this one issue. And I'd love to see HPD and/or ATF going in and making arrests today of the people behind this - possibly being relatives of the dead and injured. I'm sure that would go over just great with the population!

Where we live here in Hawaiian Acres - we had a good solid 6 hours of bang bang bang - and my guess is NONE of those were "illegal" fireworks - just the "legal" fireworks that people paid 50 bucks to get a permit to spend thousands more on sheer waste.

In fact, my opinion is there could be hundreds more stories just like this - and yet - the insanity would just continue.

Kind of like the "war on drugs" or the "gun debate."

""Just very, very sad — nothing I have ever seen in EMS,” said Honolulu EMS Director Jim Ireland. “Some of the folks who were here who have been to war, who have been in combat, said it reminded them of things they have seen in combat.""

[Obie]

https://prismfireworks.com/products/aeri...-escapade/

This is the type of firework that started this all. I spend the summer in Ohio and buy these for the 4th of July. These are legal in Ohio .

I set mine off at the end of my dock that juts out about 20 feet into the lake. The spectators are 1/4 mile away across the lake and the stash of fireworks is hundreds of feet away in a safe location. I also screw the box down to the wooden dock so it can't tip over.

[leilanidude]

Hawaiian Acres - we had a good solid 6 hours of bang bang bang - and my guess is NONE of those were "illegal" fireworks - just the "legal" fireworks that people paid 50 bucks to get a permit to spend thousands more on sheer waste.
------
The legal ones contain very little powder and do not make big "bangs" at all. The noise difference is staggering. There was a person last year in upper Leilani that was making acetylene bombs inside of balloons. Massive explosion/noise.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

When a heavy drinking holiday like New Years Eve or the 4th of July is combined with explosive devices that the drunk launch operators only handle for a few hours twice a year, it’s surprising it’s not worse.

[HiloJulie]

"When a heavy drinking holiday like New Years Eve or the 4th of July is combined with explosive devices that the drunk launch operators only handle for a few hours twice a year, it’s surprising it’s not worse."

I'm quite sure numerous intoxicants were involved here!

While in no way condoning the use of the types of firecrackers involved here, I can see, if done responsibly, in a wide open place like such as Hawaiian Acres, or as Obie pointed out, off the end of a dock on a lake where the only potential casualties are the person(s) igniting the fuse, or, and sorry Tang, maybe a few fishes in the lake as being OK, but this was done IN PURE SUBURBIA - where you can open your window and flush your neighbors toilet. And then in a garage at that! If this was done in Los Angeles, half of California would be on fire.

Regardless of cultural customs, heritage or just plain fun, common sense had the night off in this case.

And in the end, us taxpayers' foot the bill. Again. I'm sure millions will be appropriated, task forces assembled, maybe even a few Army Humvees etc., and guess what we will be talking about next July 4th and then again December 31st?

[kalianna]

They can pass all the legislation in the world and bust as many containers in honolulu as they want, but without enforcing the laws at a local level nothing will change. Iʻve often wondered why no one is EVER arrested for shooting off the bombs and aerials. It would only take one or two busts per subdivision per year to give people pause, wondering if they might be next. New Yearʻs Eve night is a lost cause, but these start weeks before and long after the actual holiday, often, during the day with a nice smoke trail to follow.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Regardless of cultural customs, heritage or just plain fun

Does anyone know how long this has been a tradition among the common folk?  I did a quick search but gave up even quicker when a Facebook post on page 1 of Google results said 1800 years. In Hawaii. Kauai specifically.

[HiloJulie]

I believe the fireworks history here in Hawaii goes back to China - and triple digit years, but don't quote me 100% on that!

I was wondering about the history of the "responsible party(ies)" (talk about misnomers) who procured all these fireworks and put on this show. How many prior 4ths of July/New Year fireworks have been hosted by the same person/people?

If the planned fireworks show had gone off without one iota of a hitch, just plenty of oohs and aahs, they would be social media heroes - maybe even mainstream media showcased and then obviously, the next show has to just get bigger and better. Right?

In that light, maybe it's good that this happened. Imagine the possible death and destruction with twice the ammunition.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

history here in Hawaii goes back to China - and triple digit years,

There ware trade routes between Hawaii & China in 900 AD, and the average Native Hawaiian was blowing off fireworks on special occasions?