Hawaii Wildfire is on the verge of creating new fuelbreaks on the west side of the Big Island and plans to continue gathering additional funds for fuelbreaks across the state.
Fuelbreaks help slow down the spread of wildfires, but more importantly, they provide greater access for firefighters to contain, control and suppress a wildfire. Case and point with this recent wildfire sparked by the June 27 lava flow:
From the Source:
"The June 27 lava flow sparked a brush fire as it continued its progress toward Pahoa on Monday.
Meanwhile, Civil Defense officials, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration, have restricted the airspace above the leading edge of the flow in response to increased traffic of sightseers and media personnel.
Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira told reporters Monday afternoon there did not appear to be any threat to surrounding neighborhoods as a result of the runaway brush fire.
'It burned about 150 acres, it’s slowly moving in the north direction towards Ainaloa,' he said. 'But, we’ve already cut firebreaks in that area, and the fire department is on the scene with offroad vehicles watching the firebreak, just making sure we don’t have any embers jump across. There’s no threat to any communities.'
Located on the west, or mauka, side of Highway 130 between Pahoa and Ainaloa, the fire has been boxed in by firebreaks and is not anticipated to threaten any homes or businesses. However, the smoke generated by the fire could increase downwind or to the north of the fire in the areas of Ainaloa and Hawaiian Paradise Park, according to a county press release."
"The Hawaii Department of Health advises residents dependent on medical services, treatment, or supplies and who live in communities that may be cut off by the advancing lava flow to relocate outside the affected area to ensure continued access to necessary medical support. If the lava flow crosses Highway 130, medical services and supplies will be severely limited and emergency medical service response time may be significantly delayed."
Above: Credit - Hawaiian Volcano Observatory