It's expected to be a very noisy start to 2018

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - As quickly as workers stocked the firecracker display at Don Quijote in Honolulu on Tuesday, customers loaded up their carts.

A manager told Hawaii News Now when the store opened at 6 a.m., it had 50 pallets of firecrackers. By noon, there were only a few pallets left.

"I was looking for the bigger ones but I guess that's about it now," said Thomas Rabe, who was buying firecrackers for New Year's Eve festivities.

And those festivities are expected to be a little louder this year.

Nearly 21,000 firecracker permits were issued on Oahu this year. That's up 22 percent from 2016.

The increase in the number of permits spurred hundreds to pack stores before dawn to make sure they had firecrackers to ring in 2018.

"I just came to get this to make sure I could get something," said Chad Ayson.

Don Quijote even opened additional registers to cater to the crowds.

One man came with 90 permits, but most had just enough to carry on their own family's tradition.

"Sending the old spirits away and starting a new year," said Rabe.

"Ever since I could remember we've been blowing off some fireworks," said Jerry Bornios. "Something we look forward to every year. Just have fun and be safe."

Over the next week, Honolulu police will be on the lookout for violations.

It's illegal for the public to discharge aerial fireworks at any time. There are also time limits on the legal ones.

"To discharge legal fireworks, that will start at 9 p.m. on Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. on January 1," said Honolulu Fire Captain Scot Seguirant.

HFD says the safest way to enjoy fireworks on New Year's Eve is to attend a professional display, but if you buy your own they encourage you to use all of them.

"We don't recommend firecrackers be stored for a later time. What we want is for them to discharge what they purchase so there are no issues with storage," said Seguirant.

If you haven't gotten your firecrackers yet, call before you go to make sure they're still in stock.

Copyright 2017 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.