The fireweed gets its name because of its ability to spread rapidly after a fire. After the 2010 Mauna Kea State Park Fire, fireweed has made its way through the charred landscape on the south side of Mauna Kea near the cabins.
From the Source:
"The Office of Mauna Kea Management is renewing its request for volunteers to assist in its efforts to control invasive weeds on the mountain.
Participants in the “Malama Maunakea” campaign focus primarily on eradicating fireweed. The drought-resistant plant is toxic to cattle and has invaded hundreds of thousands of acres on the Big Island and Maui.
The effort on Saturday, June 7 will concentrate on pulling fireweed along the Mauna Kea Access road and around Hale Pohaku at the mountain’s 9,200-foot elevation.
The weeding helps keep the species from being transported to the upper elevations of Mauna Kea where it provides habitat for invasive insects, OMKM officials said.
Volunteers are also needed for a similar effort on July 26.
To sign up, email OMKMvolunteers-grp@hawaii.edu or visit www.omkm.org for more information."
Above: "The invasive fireweed plant." Credit - University of Hawaii