Hawaii hopes stricter laws will quiet illegal fireworks after deadly New Year's Eve blastHawaii authorities are cracking down on illegal fireworks after a tragic explosion last New Year's Eve killed six peopleByJENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated PressDecember 29, 2025, 12:00 AMHONOLULU -- Mike Lambert heard fewer illegal fireworks exploding in his suburban Honolulu neighborhood in the months after a chain of blasts at a house party last New Year's Eve led to the deaths of six people, including a 3-year-old boy. As the director of Hawaii's Department of Law Enforcement, Lambert wondered if the tragedy had sparked a shift in Hawaii residents' penchant for igniting illegal fireworks. In some neighborhoods, it would be common to hear loud booms any time of day or night — for sporting events, celebrations or no apparent reason at all. But this year, authorities are armed with stiffer laws created in the wake of the tragedy and will be giving out citations to offenders, Lambert warned. “We have no delusions that you can have a tragedy New Year’s, you can sign a law in July and then not have anything go off the following year,” he said.
