2018-19 Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Management Results

In Hawaii, wildfire has devastating impacts on our communities and native ecosystems. With land use and climate changes, wildfire is a significant and growing hazard in many places across Hawaii. 

Research in wildfire science shows that vegetation is a key ingredient in the recipe for recurring wildfire. Vegetation management is essential for wildfire hazard mitigation strategies that:

• reduce wildfire hazard;

• create safer conditions for firefighters; and

• serve as key climate adaptation strategies for our communities, economies and environment.  

Fire follows fuel and the impacts do not abide by property boundaries. Therefore, reducing wildfire hazard is a landscape-level issue that we need to collaboratively tackle together to create safer and more wildfire resilient communities.

In 2015, HWMO’s Technical Advisory Committee, comprised of more than 35 fire and natural resource experts from across the state, discussed Hawaii’s lack of consolidated landscape-level information on vegetative fire fuels treatments. 

To start to fill the gap, HWMO conducted a Rapid Mapping Assessment and facilitated Collaborative Action Planning on Vegetation Management in 2018-19 to:

• Better understand all of the important hazard reduction already happening by diverse land managers;

• Identify and prioritize actions that address the island-wide fire issue to optimize expenditures and efforts and maximize protection at the landscape-scale;

• To kick-start collaboration, information sharing, and integrate fire-thinking into current activities to address the cross-boundary fire risk.

We thank State Division of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Hawaiʻi CTAHR Cooperative Extension, and Pacific Fire Exchange for their collaborative support on this project. Funding was provided by Hawaiʻi State Grant-in-Aid Program, 2016, and the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, under the terms of Grant No. 16-11052012-146 and No. 17-DG-11052012-143. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

We also thank the many mapping participants, workshop attendees, and survey respondents who made this all possible!

The summary results of the Rapid Mapping Assessment and Collaborative Action Planning can be found below.

Hawaiʻi Statewide Summary

Hawaiʻi Island

Lānaʻi

Maui

Molokaʻi

Oʻahu

Kauaʻi

"Four Friends of Fire" Video

A short PSA with animated characters to educate people about the four key elements that dictate fire behavior universally.

If we're going to live with fire, we'd better get to know it. In this first installment of the series, we meet four key drivers of bushfire risk. With thanks to the University of Wollongong, the University of Melbourne, Rockshelf Productions and David Shooter.

Wildfire LOOKOUT! Flyer

Click to enlarge the front page of the flyer.

Wildfires are a frequent and significant hazard across Hawaii.

Help do your part by preventing wildfire and following these 14 easy action ideas to prepare your home, family, and community. 

2017 Wildfire in Hawaii - PFX Annual Summary

Check out this brand new resource to learn how the wildfire season went in Hawaii in 2017 with this Pacific Fire Exchange fact sheet. Download the full fact sheet by clicking the button below.

"Every wildfire incident is part of a larger pattern of wildfire occurrence and is an opportunity to gain experience and insight for wildfire management. Taking a look at both the big picture and individual fires can: Deepen and expand our understanding of wildfire drivers, behavior, and response; improve wildfire response, management, and science; reduce negative impacts on individuals, communities, natural resources, and response agency budgets."

Wildfire in Hawaii Factsheet

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Did you know that the average area burned per year in Hawaii has increased 400% over the past century? Check out this Pacific Fire Exchange fact sheet that presents Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization's State Wildfire History Map and Dr. Clay Trauernichts' key findings from his research on the scale and scope of wildfire in Hawaii.

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Hawaii Wildfire Impacts Flyer

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Emergency Management Careers Infographic

Click the infographic above to enlarge.

"Emergency management professionals provide the framework for our society's survival after disasters occur. Given how consistently disasters occur and the need to limit the damage from emergencies and disasters, there is now, more than ever, a need for emergency management professionals. In fact, the field is expected to steadily grow well into 2024.

The above infographic, created by Arizona State University's Online Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS) degree program, explores the field of emergency management and the various professions one might pursue."

- Shared by Pearson Online Learning Services

Wildfire Virtual Field Trips

Screen capture from NFPA video.

Check out this video series put together by the NFPA and experience what happens one year, five years, and ten years after a major wildfire. The lessons learned from these videos focus largely on how you can take measures around your home and yard to reduce wildfire risks. One of the videos focuses on the ecological importance of wildfires on the mainland. It's important to keep in mind that in Hawaii and the Western Pacific, wildfires are NOT a part of the natural process and actually harm our native forests, watersheds, and coastlines. 

Disaster Safety & Assistive Technology: Protection for Seniors & the Disabled

Here is a resource with excellent information on how to better prepare our kupuna and the disabled for emergencies. 

From the Source:

"When disaster strikes, our first instinct is to check in with our loved ones and make sure they’re okay. But if your loved one is a senior or has a disability, you can’t afford to wait to “check in” — timing is everything during an emergency, and you need to buy them as much time as possible to react independently. You should create an emergency preparedness guide to keep them safe and accessible even as a crisis is unfolding.

Wildfire Research Fact Sheet: Decks

Firewise's new wildfire research fact sheet has some great information on how to reduce the ignitability of your deck or lanai. It's just one page but packed with useful information.

From the Source: 

"MANY HOMES LOCATED IN WILDFIRE-PRONE AREAS HAVE ATTACHED DECKS, WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY SPREAD FIRE TO THE HOUSE WHEN IGNITED DURING A WILDFIRE. A burning deck can ignite siding or break the glass in doors or windows, allowing fi re to gain entry into the house. Consequently, making decks less vulnerable to wildfire also makes your house less vulnerable. Reducing the deck’s vulnerability requires an approach that focuses on the materials and design features used to build the deck, and creating a noncombustible zone around and under the deck."