If you’ve got a $25 firecracker permit and were intending to pick up some of the bundles of explosive red paper today, you may be out of luck.

As of Monday afternoon, the Honolulu Fire Department said, only one outlet still had firecrackers available for sale: Archie Ahuna’s stand in front of Farrington High School at 1564 N. King St. in Kalihi.

Ahuna said Monday afternoon that he hoped to have enough stock to last through this afternoon, although he could not be sure.

Other retailers, including Foodland, Don Quijote and Longs Drugs, began running out of firecrackers before the weekend.

Retailers were apparently caught unprepared by a surge in the number of Oahu residents hoping to set off firecrackers this New Year’s Eve. The city issued 10,922 permits this year, compared with 8,564 last year.

Capt. Terry Seelig, Hono-lulu Fire Department spokesman, said the law does not allow for refunds to be issued to those who do not use their permits to purchase firecrackers, and he pointed out that the permits state clearly no refunds will be given. He said he and other city officials received calls from people seeking refunds, the first time that’s happened.

The permits also can be used only for a date that must be specified at the time they were purchased and cannot be altered, so a New Year’s permit cannot be used to buy firecrackers for Chinese New Year or Independence Day, he said.

"We’re sorry that some people weren’t able to get firecrackers and we regret they had to alter their plans," Seelig said.

Ahuna said he is putting out about the same amount of firecrackers for sale as he did last year. There was no reason to do otherwise, he said.

"It’s been kind of crazy, but I think things are going to work out," Ahuna said, noting that business has been growing steadily as word gets out that he is the only place left for people to purchase firecrackers. "Hopefully, we can cover the consumers that have a permit."

Ahuna said he will be open until about 2 p.m. today.