1st Press Release for the May 13th launch of the Wildfire & Drought Look Out! statewide campaign.
Hidden Victims of the Nanakuli Fire (VIDEO)
The Nanakuli Fire in March of 2016 threatened a number of homes along the edges of the valley. However, some precious native plants were also in the path of the destructive fire. Here's the story behind what happened and the larger lesson of how wildfires impact Hawaii's native ecosystems.
How to Become a Firewise Community (Flyer)
As of July 2015, we began working with a number of communities to help them achieve Firewise Communities Recognition, a nationwide program that recognizes communities for their efforts towards reducing the loss of lives, properties, and resources to wildfire. “The Firewise Communities approach emphasizes community responsibility for planning in the design of a safe community as well as effective emergency response, and individual responsibility for safer home construction and design, landscaping and maintenance.”
If your community is interested, we can help you through each step of the certification process. Contact us today! As a nonprofit organization, our mission is to support your fire protection efforts. Becoming Firewise is an excellent step toward safeguarding your community and we are happy to help.
El Niño and Fire Weather on Pacific Islands
The current (2015-2016), strong El Niño is forecast to bring drier conditions to our region this summer and beyond. This PFX fact sheet illustrates how droughts under prior El Niños have resulted in extensive fires across the region. This indicates the current forecast is an opportunity to plan and increase preparedness for conditions of higher fire danger.
Prevent or Reduce Fire with Goats - JFSP Brief
HWMO VIDEO: Kawaihae Fire and Flood 2015 - Mauka to Makai Impacts
Red Cross Wildfire Alerts App
Make sure to download the Emergency App and other on-the-go emergency alert resources for the whole mobile suite.
Be ready for wildfire with Wildfire by the American Red Cross. Get the latest state-by-state Wildfire news and updates, prepare your family, home and pets, let loved ones know that you are safe even if the power is out – a must have for anyone who lives in an area that is susceptible to wildfires or has loved ones that do.
County of Hawaii Civil Defense Active Messages and Alerts
Western Region Cohesive Strategy Website
A few years ago, we joined coordination efforts with the Western Regional Strategy Committee (established in 2011) "to support and facilitate implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy across the West", including Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.
Find out more about the Western Region Cohesive Strategy through their website where they have catalogued all of their newsletter and other helpful links.
Stakeholder Needs Word Clouds Poster
Click to expand poster.
To better understand the needs of our stakeholders across the State, we are always looking at new, innovative ways to visualize what's important to people.
For the 2015 Nahelehele Dry Forest Symposium, HWMO created a poster for the poster session that we shared with a number of individuals involved in conservation work across the State and the Pacific.
The poster board, designed by Pablo Beimler (Education & Outreach Coordinator) and written by Pablo, Elizabeth Pickett (Executive Director), and Ilene Grossman (Planning Assistant), emphasizes the importance of collecting agency and community input before moving forward on wildfire mitigation projects.
Here's an abstract from the poster board:
"Addressing the wildfire issues that persist on the Hawaiian Islands requires collaboration and communication among diverse parties due to the cross-field, cross-jurisdictional nature of wildfires. For years, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization has been a model for thoroughly engaging its partners and community members in each step of the collaboration process. One of the key reasons HWMO’s projects have been relevant and successful is that the organization only moves forward on projects that are directly driven by stakeholder’s needs. HWMO makes every effort to collect input from land managers, planners, County/State/Federal agencies, local communities, and any other parties affected by wildfire in order to truly understand what is needed on-the-ground. Our display visually highlights the plethora of input we have gathered from the past couple of years, primarily through the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) process."