Both the state's governor and Honolulu's mayor vowed to crack down on illegal fireworks after the explosion.
Fireworks explosions have killed at least three people in the Honolulu, Hawaii area, marking a sad start to the new year on the island of Oahu. Two were found dead at the scene.
The explosion occurred at midnight local time (10:00 GMT) on Wednesday, as revelers celebrated the arrival of New Year's Day. 20 others were injured.
An explosion took place at a building, and drone footage of the explosion showed dozens of fireworks exploding and a plume of smoke at night.
Jim Ireland, director of the Department of Emergency Services of Honolulu, said that he saw many burns and “explosion-type injuries” when he arrived at the scene of the explosion, including from shrapnel.
“I've been in EMS (medical services) for more than 30 years, and this is probably the worst call I've ever had, in terms of the tragedy and the number of patients and the severity of the injuries,” Ireland said.
He explained that the injury required a “great response”. The Irish Department sent 10 ambulances, and they also saw the presence of ambulances from the fire department.
The explosion occurred near a joint base of the United States Air Force and Navy. Fire trucks from nearby Pearl Harbor responded to the scene.
At the press conference, Justin Brownfield, a representative of the Honolulu Fire Department, said his agency also sent eight units and two firefighters. He also described “extensive damage” at the site.
“The first sessions that took place were met with many victims, including many who were protestors,” Ireland said, describing his first impressions.
The US government often warns about the dangers of using fireworks during the holiday season.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, a government agency, reports that eight people died and nearly 9,700 were injured by fire extinguishers in 2023 alone.
No details have been released about Wednesday's fire in Honolulu.
But Hawaii Governor Josh Green called for the illegal use of firearms in a words responding to the explosion.
The use of aerial fire extinguishers, as well as ground-based fire extinguishers such as sprinklers and fountains, is considered. illegal on Oahu.
“Because combating illegal fireworks has become a priority, we established the Illegal Fireworks Task Force last year to identify and break the chains,” Governor Green said in a statement Wednesday.
So far it has seized 227,000 pounds (103,000kg) of illegal fireworks, but incidents like this remind us of the challenges we face.
The mayor of Honolulu, Rick Blangiardi, also issued a statement to local media promising to impose strict penalties on those who use illegal fireworks.
“This incident is a painful reminder of the dangers of illegal fireworks, which put lives at risk, destroy our basic infrastructure, and disrupt our communities,” Blangiardi said in a statement.
“Year after year, a few people recklessly endanger people. This is absurd and unacceptable. My administration remains committed to working with local and state agencies to stop the illegal trade in fireworks once and for all. “