Will a devastating New Year’s Eve explosion change Hawaii’s fireworks culture?

HONOLULU (AP) — In recent years, occasions large and small — parties, Super Bowls, mixed-martial arts fights, even Thanksgiving — have provided a reason for residents across Hawaii to set off illegal fireworks.

The increasingly sophisticated displays, loved by some and loathed by others, are so prevalent that some people consider them part of the state’s culture. They have rattled neighborhoods of tightly packed houses, started fires, terrorized pets and knocked a light fixture off the ceiling of an Associated Press reporter’s home...