Waikoloa Village Firewise Green Waste Day

Mark Gordon, Fire Management Action Committee Chair, shares a laugh in front of the roll-out dumpster used for the green waste collection event. Credit: Waikoloa Village Fire Management Action Committee

Waikoloa Village was on a roll this last weekend — literally. The WVA Fire Management Action Committee, chaired by Mark Gordon, contracted to have a large roll-out dumpster placed at the Waikoloa Stables for most of the day so that residents had a convenient location to dispose of yard waste and thereby reduce the fire risk around homes in the fire-prone subdivision.

The Firewise event organizers exceeded expectations, with the bin almost three-quarters of the way filled within the first hour or so — it was completely full by the end of the event. Over 30 people dropped off yard waste they had removed from around their homes, creating defensible space, which is an important part of being Ready for a wildfire.

Big mahalo to the work done by Steve, the newest Fire Management Committee member, Wayne, Mark, and the Waikoloa Stables groundskeeper who all volunteered their time towards assisting people in disposing of yard waste.

This event will help qualify Waikoloa Village for a 3rd straight year of having a national Firewise recognition. Great work everyone!

Waimea Middle School Career Exploration Day

Testing “Fire Adapted Community” bridges with a heavy bucket of wildfire rocks.

There are many careers out there that can have a positive impact on reducing wildfire risk, from teachers to planners to farmers and everything in between. That was the theme of our day on October 24th as we visited Waimea Middle School as one of the presenters for this year’s Career Exploration Day. To get this message across with the students we met with, we played a “Build a Fire Adapted Community” game. Students answered questions on wildfire impacts on our watershed model. With each correct answer, they were given metal clips which they would creatively use to piece together popsicle sticks that have various features of a Fire Adapted Community written on them. The test: to build a strong bridge of community connection that could withstand a bucket full of heavy rocks! We were impressed by the innovative linkages the students made and many of the bridges withstood the heavy brunt of rocks (symbolizing a wildfire).

So many future leaders and community connectors on the horizon!

Kanehoa Firewise Networking Gathering

Puukapu Pastoral Firewise members share background on their community’s wildfire issues with the group.

Kanehoa, the 2nd community to become a Firewise Community in Hawaii, has been a standout community for their Firewise leadership. Continuing to demonstrate that leadership quality, they hosted an inter-Firewise Community exchange on October 20, inviting all other Firewise Communities to join them for a networking gathering. HWMO joined the fun and learning, sharing the latest tips on wildfire preparedness and updates on the organization in general. Members from Puukapu Pastoral Firewise and Kohala Waterfront also joined in. Big mahalo to the Kanehoa Firewise Committee for inviting us and their work over the years!

3 Firewise Communities represented proudly at the gathering.

2018 Fairmont Orchid Employee Health and Safety Fair

HWMO’s Tamara Hynd cruised over to Fairmont Orchid to share wildfire preparedness information with employees of the South Kohala resort on October 5. With the recent large wildfires in August, the timing was ever the more important to share tips on Firewise landscaping and other home and family preparedness options, including ReadySetGo!

Waikoloa Firewise Community Forum

The August wildfire that burned 18,000 acres (2nd largest in recent Hawaii history) near Waikoloa was a close call for community members. Communications from agencies to residents were a challenge and a hot topic (pun intended) at the Waikoloa Firewise Community Forum on September 27. More than 50 residents and a number of speakers representing various agencies and legislative offices were present to recap the pluses and minuses of the response to the massive wildfire. Thank you to Waikoloa Fire Management Action Committee for inviting HWMO and putting together this successful event!

Hilo Vegetative Fuels Management Mapping Workshop with DOFAW

Mapping with DOFAW representatives in Hilo.

As a hub of wildfire protection efforts across the Hawaiian Islands, we are always looking for ways to bring people together to solve some of our most complex wicked problems. The Hawaiian Islands have been struggling with invasive species spread for decades, but now we are seeing what happens when invasive flammable plants take over the landscape and allow fires to spread more quickly and over larger areas. By controlling or managing flammable vegetation at the landscape-level, we can make great strides towards reducing the wildfire risk on our islands.

That’s why HWMO is coordinating a statewide vegetative fuels management mapping project — a rapid assessment to understand the vegetation management needs and priorities of landowners and land managers throughout the Hawaiian Islands. DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and University of Hawaii CTAHR Cooperative Extension are key partners in the effort.

The vision for the project is that the resulting maps will lead to 1) better prioritization and communication of vegetative fuels management on the landscape-scale and 2) enhance project coordination between organizations and funding opportunities.

On September 18, we linked up with DOFAW for a workshop in Hilo to map current and desired vegetation management activities. Activities could include any vegetation reduction or conversion projects such as roadside mowing, fuelbreaks, grazing rotations, clearing around structures or power poles, brush abatement or thinning, tree trimming, loi restoration, agriculture, and native forest restoration.

Waikii Ranch 2nd Annual Firewise BBQ

Education is fun — and definitely when food is involved! For the 2nd straight year, Waikii Ranch held a Firewise BBQ for its members as part of their Firewise Communities efforts. HWMO was invited as one of several wildfire speakers, sharing information on wildfire preparedness (Firewise, ReadySetGo!, etc.) and the latest updates about HWMO.

Waikii Ranch has been a Firewise Community since 2017 and are working towards a 2nd year as a nationally-recognized site. We know they can do it!

Waialea Community Fuelbreak July 2018 Maintenance

Waialea has been a Firewise Community since 2016, but they have been working towards wildfire prevention solutions in their small community for several years prior to then. The community fuelbreak, initially created through financial and technical support from HWMO, has been consistently kept maintained by the community since HWMO handed the reigns over. Take a look at the great work they did this July to keep their fuelbreak maintained as a last line of defense for firefighters to protect the shoreline community.

Photo credits: Bill White, Waialea Firewise committee chair

Ocean Warriors Wildfire Education at Puako

It’s all about making learning fun!

HWMO once again teamed up with Malama Kai Foundation’s Ocean Warriors program to educate middle school students about wildfire issues and solutions. The Ocean Warriors program is a youth environmental engagement and empowerment program that has kids become directly involved in projects, be a part of bigger solutions, raise money toward open space protection, and save vulnerable wild spaces, including those vulnerable to wildfire.

At Paniau Beach in Puako, the kids learned from HWMO staff (Elizabeth, Tom, Orlando, Melissa) the importance of preventing wildfire in order to protect the entire watershed from summit to sea.

Puukapu Pastoral Firewise Assessment Review Meeting

The review team — mahalo everyone!

Wildfire protection takes collaboration. We had a very fruitful meeting with Puukapu Pastoral residents, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii Fire Department, and Natural Resources Conservation Service representatives. Together, we brainstormed actions Puukapu lessees, with assistance from their partners, could take to create a safer Firewise and tighter-knit community. HWMO works as a hub to connect people because collaboration truly is the most effective way to see immediate and long-lasting results. Big mahalo to all who participated and for the residents taking charge to be pioneers in their community and showing real leadership and determination to protect the families and beautiful lands of Puukapu.