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Valleywise Health burn center treating 6 people injured in Hawaii NYE firework tragedy

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Valleywise Health burn center treating 6 people injured in Hawaii NYE firework tragedy


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Six critically burned patients arrived in Phoenix from Hawaii on Saturday night, following a New Year’s Eve firework tragedy that left three dead and over 20 injured.

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The six patients, who are in their 20s and 30s, are in critical condition and have burns covering 60% to 80% of their bodies, said Valleywise Health chief clinical officer Dr. Michael White.

White said all six have a good chance of survival and that Valleywise Health does not expect more patients to be flown in.

Hawaii’s only burn center is located on Oahu where the incident took place, but beds are limited. White said the Diane and Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, Arizona’s only burn center and one of the largest in the country, has the ability to help.

“When the call is made, we’re more than happy, if we have the capacity and expertise, to help these patients,” White said.

According to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, the six were chosen due to the severity of traumatic injuries and burns sustained during the incident. Green authorized a C-17 military transport to fly them into Phoenix and it arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

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On X, Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego applauded Phoenix Fire’s efforts to transport the patients from Sky Harbor.

Phoenix fire officials collaborated with both state and federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, to ensure the patients were transported to Valleywise Health safely.  

“This shows our dedication to saving lives beyond our state borders,” a Phoenix Fire Department spokesperson said.  

Among those flown into Arizona was a mother of a 3-month-old.

On the cusp of New Year’s Day, three people died and over 20 were injured from a firework explosion around midnight in the Aliamanu, also known as the Salt Lake, neighborhood near Pearl Harbor and Honolulu on Hawaii’s third largest island.

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What caused the explosion?

In a Jan. 1 press conference from the Honolulu Police Department, authorities said a person lit a firework “cake” containing around 50 individual aerial fireworks that somehow tipped over, shooting into other crates also filled with fireworks and resulting in the fatal explosion. Authorities estimated fireworks recovered at the scene cost tens of thousands of dollars.

“It looked like a war zone,” Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said during the press conference.

Videos posted on social media appear to show dozens of fireworks exploding in a massive, bright blaze, with plumes of smoke rising in the air. The blast appeared to explode on a resident’s front lawn, along a dense neighborhood street dotted with parked cars.

Twenty-three adults and three children were seriously and critically injured in the explosion, though the estimate does not account for those who admitted themselves into the hospital, authorities said. Two women died at the scene and a third passed away a few hours later.

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“Make no mistake, it was a bomb … it was a firework bomb,” Gov. Green said.

Most people injured sustained burns, but injuries also included those caused by shrapnel that were “gruesome,” said Honolulu Emergency Services Department director Dr. Jim Ireland at the press conference.

Honolulu police said the person who lit the fireworks, as well as those who potentially supplied the illegal ones, may face criminal prosecution pending the investigation.

A fourth person died due to an unrelated firework incident in the Kalihi area about six miles away.

‘Best left to the professionals’

Fireworks are fundamentally dangerous, Dr. White from Valleywise Health noted. “They are explosive devices. (There’s) risk for burns and risk for injuries such as this,” he said.

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In Phoenix, any firework that is designed to shoot off the ground is illegal and can carry a misdemeanor charge, fines or jail time, according to Sgt. Brian Bower with Phoenix police.

Fines for illegal fireworks vary per city:

  • Avondale: $1,000. 
  • Chandler: $1,000. 
  • Gilbert: $1,000. 
  • Glendale: $1,500 on first offense, $2,000 on second offense. 
  • Goodyear: $1,000. 
  • Mesa: First offense $500; each subsequent offense between $1,000 and $2,500. 
  • Peoria: $750. 
  • Phoenix: $1,000. 
  • Queen Creek: $1,000. 
  • Tempe: $1,000. 
  • Tolleson: $250. 
  • Scottsdale: Minimum fine of $275. 
  • Surprise: No less than $150, no more than $1,000.

Cities also can hold residents liable for fire damage and emergency responses related to fireworks use. “Fireworks should be left to the professionals,” White said.

Multiple GoFundMe pages have been started to aid those who were injured or died in the New Year’s Eve incident.





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Hawaii County Surf Forecast for March 04, 2026 | Big Island Now

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Hawaii County Surf Forecast for March 04, 2026 | Big Island Now


Forecast for Big Island Windward and Southeast


Shores Tonight Wednesday
Surf Surf
PM AM AM PM
North Facing 2-4 2-4 2-4 2-4
East Facing 3-5 4-6 4-6 5-7
South Facing 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3
TONIGHT
Weather Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers.
Low Temperature In the upper 60s.
Winds East winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tides
Hilo Bay High 1.9 feet 03:26 PM HST.
Low -0.1 feet 09:20 PM HST.
High 2.4 feet 03:40 AM HST.
WEDNESDAY
Weather Partly sunny. Numerous showers.
High Temperature In the upper 70s.
Winds East winds 10 to 15 mph.
Tides
Hilo Bay Low -0.1 feet 10:00 AM HST.
High 2.0 feet 04:04 PM HST.
Sunrise 6:37 AM HST.
Sunset 6:27 PM HST.

Forecast for Big Island Leeward


Shores Tonight Wednesday
Surf Surf
PM AM AM PM
West Facing 2-4 2-4 2-4 1-3
South Facing 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3
TONIGHT
Weather Mostly sunny until 6 PM, then mostly
cloudy. Hazy.
Low Temperature In the upper 60s.
Winds West winds around 5 mph early in the
afternoon, becoming light and variable.
Tides
Kona High 1.5 feet 04:04 PM HST.
Low -0.1 feet 09:57 PM HST.
High 1.9 feet 04:18 AM HST.
Kawaihae High 1.4 feet 04:36 PM HST.
Low -0.1 feet 10:20 PM HST.
High 1.9 feet 04:38 AM HST.
WEDNESDAY
Weather Partly sunny. Hazy.
High Temperature In the mid 80s.
Winds Light and variable winds, becoming west
around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tides
Kona Low -0.1 feet 10:37 AM HST.
High 1.6 feet 04:42 PM HST.
Kawaihae Low -0.2 feet 11:01 AM HST.
High 1.6 feet 05:13 PM HST.
Sunrise 6:41 AM HST.
Sunset 6:31 PM HST.

The current moderate northwest swell will continue a gradual decline through Thursday. A small west-northwest swell will arrive on Friday and hold through the weekend, followed by a small north-northwest swell early next week. Choppy east shore surf will build to near seasonal average by Wednesday as trade winds strengthen over and east of the islands. Little change is expected along east facing shores through the weekend, followed by a possible decline early next week if winds veer southerly. Surf along south facing shores will remain small to tiny through the weekend, and some islands may an increase in choppy surf if southerly winds develop early next week.

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NORTH EAST

am        pm  

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.

Conditions: Semi choppy with ESE winds 5-10mph in the morning increasing to 10-15mph in the afternoon.

NORTH WEST

am        pm  

Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.

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ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Conditions: Clean in the early morning with ESE winds less than 5mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions move in during the morning hours with the winds shifting W 5-10mph.

WEST

am        pm  

Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.

Conditions: Semi glassy in the morning with N winds less than 5mph. Bumpy/semi bumpy conditions for the afternoon with the winds shifting WNW 5-10mph.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

SOUTH EAST

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am        pm  

Surf: Minimal (ankle high or less) surf.

Conditions: Light sideshore texture in the morning with NE winds 10-15mph. This becomes Sideshore texture/chop for the afternoon.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov and SwellInfo.com



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Hawaii delegation continues to blast U.S. attack on Iran | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaii delegation continues to blast U.S. attack on Iran | Honolulu Star-Advertiser




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Blood moon to dazzle Hawaii skies tonight

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Blood moon to dazzle Hawaii skies tonight

























Blood moon to dazzle Hawaii skies tonight | Local | kitv.com

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