The wet weather and perhaps the weak economy put a damper on fireworks-related incidents in Honolulu this New Year's.

Fireworks-related incidents in Honolulu were less than half of what they were the year before during the three days surrounding the New Year — Tuesday, Wednesday and through 9 a.m. yesterday, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

This year there were 24 probable fireworks-related blazes, including two minor brushfires, with the bulk of them coming on New Year's Eve, Seelig said. Most of the fires were rubbish or Dumpster fires, he said.

Last year there were 57 fireworks-related fires, including four brushfires. In 2006 there were 61 fireworks-related blazes.

"Typically these three days are busier than usual," Seelig said yesterday.

"The number of fires and those probably fireworks related were way down. It could be because the public got our message about safety, or the weather made a difference."

While overall fireworks activity was down on New Year's Eve, there were more illegal aerial fireworks this year, Seelig said.

This was despite the arrest by Honolulu police on Wednesday of two employees of one of O'ahu's largest importers of legal fireworks. Police said the two employees sold illegal aerial fireworks to an undercover officer out of the company's airport area warehouse.

Kalihi district police confiscated more than 25 pounds of illegal aerial fireworks from China, with names such as "Let's Get Lit" and "Grizzly Power," that they said were sold to the undercover officer.

Another 94 cases of illegal aerial fireworks were seized from the Eidai International Inc. warehouse, police said. The fireworks have a street value of about $50,000.

Aerial fireworks are illegal in Hawai'i except in professional, sanctioned displays.

In all, O'ahu firefighters responded to 385 calls from Tuesday through 9 a.m. yesterday, for fires, other incidents and medical calls, Seelig said.

The two brushfires, in Hawai'i Kai and Wai'anae, were put out within 15 minutes, Seelig said.

"The weather contributed to not having brushfires," Seelig said. "The brush is so damp that it helped control the fires."

Injuries related to New Year's fireworks also were down this year.

Spokesman Bryan Cheplic said the city's Emergency Services Department received four calls for fireworks-related burns overnight.

Three burn victims, one on the Windward side, and two in Honolulu, were taken to local trauma centers in stable condition.

"Burn injuries were surprisingly slow this year," said Cheplic.

The number of fireworks permits purchased on O'ahu was down nearly 26 percent from a year ago, the fire department reported.

There were 6,924 permits sold at satellite city halls, Honolulu Hale and Kapolei by the close of business yesterday, compared with 9,219 in 2007.

That extended a trend of declining sales since 2006. From a peak of 13,979 permits in 2005, 10,960 permits were sold in 2006.

There was one house fire in Honolulu during the three-day New Year's period, but it was not fireworks related, Seelig said. The fire in Papakolea on Kauhane Street was confined to the first floor. There were no injuries in the 11:40 p.m. Wednesday fire, Seelig said. However, Honolulu police are classifying that case as arson.

Elsewhere, a spectacular fire destroyed a house in Hilo and left nine college students without a home.

The fire that destroyed a home on Halaulani Place in Hilo early yesterday broke out at 2 a.m. and was under control by 2:35 a.m., Big Island fire officials said. The fire was out by 3:19 a.m.

No one was injured in the blaze, but the Red Cross was brought in to assist the college students. The cause of the fire had not yet been determined.