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From the Source:
Firefighters extinguished a brush fire that burned about 3 acres near the tree line above Kapalua Airport on Sunday afternoon, a fire official said.
The fire was reported at 3:42 p.m., with Napili and Lahaina fire crews responding along with the Fire Department’s Air One helicopter and a battalion chief.
Be vigilant - wildfire conditions are ripe for wildfire these next few months in Hawaii. Are you prepared? Check out the Ready, Set, Go! guide and Wildfire LOOKOUT! for tips on how to prepare for and prevent wildfires.
From the Source:
Hawaii and Puerto Rico will continue to see slightly elevated potential early in the outlook period until the impacts of tropical weather conditions begin to be felt.
We are so proud to announce that this year, Hawaiʻi has the most awardees it has ever had for the nationwide #WildfirePrepDay contest.
The awardees are:
Waikiʻi Ranch
Waikoloa Village
Kanehoa
Puʻukapu Pastoral
Waialea
Check out the 150 awardees across the U.S. who received generous support from State Farm through NFPA.
Even without a State Farm grant, there is a lot you can do in your community for Wildfire Prep Day on May 4. Need project ideas? Click the button below, courtesy of our friends from Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network.
From the Source:
Maui firefighters were called to reports of a fire at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday which was located in the brush area between Keanuhea Street and Kula Highway.
Firefighters from Makawao and Kahului responded.
Once on scene, crews found what appeared to by a makeshift campsite completely burned.
Air 1 was called to assist with water drops because of the remote location which was very difficult to access with firefighting vehicles. The fire was quickly contained and later declared extinguished around noon.
From the Source:
The Hawaii‘i Fire department arrived at the scene of a half-acre brush fire at 5:07 p.m. on Monday, March 11, 2019, between two fairways at the Hokulia Golf Course near the bottom of Halekii Street.
The area contained a heavy fuel load, including keawe, haole koa and pili grass. Access was challenging access due to archeological and cultural sites.
Firefighters were unable to cut a firebreak across bottom of fire due to numerous archeological and historical sites.
Credit: KITV4 News
El Nino means more wildfires. More wildfires means more impacts. We must all be ready for a busy fire year. Check out Wildfire LOOKOUT for wildfire prevention and preparedness resources at your fingertips.
"With El Niño comes drought usually and so that dries out all the vegetation and we can get an out of season active period in terms of brush fires," Kevin Kodama, hydrologist, National Weather Service, said. "For the Leeward areas, you're really getting out of a chance of any sort of meaningful rainfall for that side of the island anyway. It's the driest time of the year."
"The big risk factors are sort of all of these unused former agricultural lands but all this grass," Clay Trauernicht, wildland fire specialist, University of Hawaii, said.
"It should allow folks in those communities to start to get ready and realize the threat is there and they can do something about it now to minimize the impact," Captain Scot Seguirant, HFD, said.
To help prevent wildfires, Seguirant recommends residents cut their brush and vegetation to at least 30 feet away from their homes.
Fire behind Sack N Save in Nanakuli. Credit: KITV4
Honolulu firefighters say a West Oahu brush fire that burned since pre-dawn on Sunday is 100 percent contained. The fire department says 500 acres burned, and hot spots and smoke are coming from burned areas.
HFD says strong gusty wind conditions, accessibility, and terrain are challenging fire fighters efforts. In Nanakuli, the fire came as close as 100 feet to some homes.
HFD says the fire originated in Nanakuli Valley and branched off into Waianae Valley. Throughout the day, it was an active fire that firefighters battled on multiple fronts, and with the help of the federal fire department.
“Dozens of volunteers got down and dirty to plant roughly 750 trees on Oahu’s west side.” Credit: DLNR.
Important work being done by our partners from the Waianae Mountains Watershed Partnership and DLNR to reforest Waianae Kai State Forest Reserve, which will create a more resilient landscape and reduce the wildfire risk in the area. If you want to get involved with the planting events, you’re asked to contact coordinator Yumi Miyata at (808) 227-9545, or wmwpcoordinator@gmail.com.
From the Source:
“The Enterprise Urban Tree Initiative brings our employees together to volunteer in communities like Waianae that have been devastated by natural disasters, such as wildfires,” said Chris Sbarbaro, Enterprise Hawaii Vice President of External Affairs. “We support the Arbor Day Foundation and its partners in their efforts to build strong communities from the ground up and create a sustainable and inclusive future for all.”
The need to restore Oahu’s west side comes as a dry spell started to hit Nanakuli, and is likely to move toward Waianae during the normally hot and dry summer months.
“Unfortunately, wildfires have become more frequent in Waianae. The cycle of infrequent, heavy rain followed by dry, hot and windy weather creates the perfect conditions for fast-moving, intense fire. A recent fire in August 2018 burned more than 1,500 acres of the forest reserve, threatening native forests important for water recharge,” said Yumi Miyata, Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership Coordinator and Chair of Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships.
From the Source:
Firefighters responded to multiple brush fires that broke out along Koke‘e Road throughout the day Sunday, starting in the early morning hours and ending in the evening.
There were no reports of injuries or structural damage related to the fires.
Roughly 50 acres were burned before the blaze could be contained by emergency crews around 5:20 p.m. Fire crews ran out of water in their engines throughout the course of the day fighting the fire and were forced to reload on several occasions.
Anyone with information is urged to call the KPD at 241-1711.
Sand Island fire on March 9. Credit: Hawaii News Now
Strong winds fueled a wildland fire near Sand Island Saturday.
The fire was reported just before 1:40 p.m. Smoke was visible from the nearby highway.
HFD says about 18 fire personnel responded to the incident and began battling the flames.
“Strong gusty wind conditions challenged fire fighters efforts,” HFD said in a news release.
The fire reportedly started in an empty lot known to be frequented by homeless, HFD said.
Footage from Senator Maile Shimabukuro broadcasted on Hawaii News Now.
Although 75% of wildfires are deemed accidental and thus easily preventable in Hawaii, according to researcher Dr. Clay Trauernicht of UH CTAHR Cooperative Extension, we also have a challenging arson issue. It’s rare for authorities to catch arsonists and even more difficult to prosecute arsonists. In this Maili fire, a suspect was found at the scene of one of four wildfires along Farrington Highway in Maili. Thankfully no one was hurt and no homes were lost, but an investigation is underway.
From the Source:
The dramatic afternoon has Senator Shimabukuro renewing her push for a million dollars in grant money to help fight West Oahu wildfires.
“Fires have been terrorizing our community my whole life," she said. “Every summer, our mountains are on fire. I really hope that this million dollars that the community is requesting for the Waianae Kai Wildfire Preparedness Plan can be granted by the legislature."
Firefighters extinguished four brush fires in Kekaha, in an area about 25 feet by 400 feet, near the vicinity of Kikiaola Harbor in Kekaha on Sunday.
Firefighters from the Waimea and Hanapepe fire stations responded to the brush fires that were reported at 2:40 p.m.
Hanapepe fire station responded to assist with two brush fires closer to the harbor entrance.
Dr. Trauernicht gives background on the wildfire issue in Maui and across the state. Credit: The Maui News
Great article on the wildfire issue in Hawaii based on a recent talk by our close partner, Dr. Clay Trauernicht of University of Hawaii CTAHR Cooperative Extension / Pacific Fire Exchange. Also, important identification of the need for more funding for forest restoration and fire prevention by another close partner of ours, Chris Brosius, program manager of the West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership.
From the Source:
The causes of most fires are unknown. Out of 12,000 recorded incidents statewide from 2000 to 2011, only 882, or about 7 percent, had a determined cause. Of those, 72 percent were accidental, which also means they’re preventable, Trauernicht said at Wednesday’s meeting in the Pacific Whale Foundation’s classrooms in Maalaea. That’s why part of the solution is public education on the risks of fire and how to avoid sparking a fire.
That’s why it’s important to find ways to change the landscape to less sensitive and less flammable vegetation, he said. Statewide, non-native grasses and shrubland cover 25 percent of the total land; in Maui County, it’s 36 percent.
“Rather than trying to weed wack or spray to kill the grass, maybe you should think about a more permanent strategy, like planting trees to shade those grasses out,” Trauernicht said. “In other words, converting that vegetation to something that’s less likely to burn.”
“We can really only do two things,” Trauernicht explained. “We can target ignitions . . . and the only thing we have direct control over is the vegetation.”
“A lot of people think about jumping right into fuels management,” he said. “One of the big things is just having access and safer conditions and water for firefighters. So I think some of the more immediate things is ensuring they have the safest conditions.”
Fortunately the fire did not do damage or cause any casualties — with the winds blowing from the Kona Low storm, it could have been a lot worse.
From the Source:
Hawaii County Police say a fire is forcing the evacuation of North Kona Sunday.
Evacuation orders were announced shortly after noon.
Police say Loloa Street is closed in Kalaoa as crews respond, and officials suggest that drivers use alternate routes.
“A brush fire continues to burn off Daniel K. Inouye Highway Wednesday near near the Maunakea Access Road.” (HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald)
The fire, which broke out about 10 a.m. Tuesday in the northeastern corner of Pohakuloa Training Area, had burned about 110 acres of state and U.S. Army land as of Wednesday afternoon. It’s burning on the slopes of Mauna Kea, about 2 miles north of Daniel K. Inouye Highway and on the Kona side of Mauna Kea Access Road, said PTA spokesman Mike Donnelly.
“In the last 24 hours, these guys have done a remarkable job containing this fire given the brutal terrain that they’re in,” Donnelly said after observing the fire from a helicopter. The blaze is about 70 percent contained.
#WildfirePrepDay 2018 at Kamilonui-Mariner’s Cove in Hawaii Kai, Oahu. They received a State Farm grant for their vegetation reduction efforts and were able to go the extra mile because of it! Credit: Livable Hawaii Kai Hui
From our partners at NFPA:
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day this year it is May 4, 2019. NFPA® will again be offering project funding awards to 150 communities across the United States. Each of these $500 awards provided with past generous support from State Farm, can be used to complete a wildfire safety project where you live.
The application period for one of one hundred fifty $500 awards opens January 7 at 8 AM EST, and will close March 1 at midnight EST. Winners will be announced March 22.
Credit: Dr. Clay Trauernicht
The need for more wildfire mitigation across Hawaii’s landscapes to protect natural resources and communities will only be greater with climate change. The time is now to take action!
This from our close colleague, a PFX coordinator, and a HWMO technical advisor, Dr. Clay Trauernicht, Wildfire Extension Specialist at University of Hawaii Manoa CTAHR.
The first study linking climate change to an increased probability of wildfires in Hawaiʻi also weighs the increased risks facing tropical regions around the world, according to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher Clay Trauernicht.
Based on changes in rainfall and temperature due to climate change, the annual risk of wildfire could increase up to 375 percent for parts of Hawaiʻi Island, the analysis shows.
Lead researcher Trauernicht, of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, tracked the “footprints” of historical fires on Hawaiʻi Island. His research shows how vegetation, ignition frequency and climate contribute to wildfire probability.
“The increased risk of fire stems from drought conditions due to low rainfall, as well as increased rainfall in the months prior to drought,” Trauernicht said. “This is because wet conditions mean greater growth of non-native grasses, which are the greatest fuel for wildfires in Hawaiʻi. Wet summer weather, combined with dry winter conditions, is characteristic of El Niño conditions and this winter looks likely to be another El Niño.”
Brush fire that forced evacuation of luxury Maui resort is seen in background on January 6, 2019
From the Source:
A luxury Maui resort was evacuated Sunday night as a fast-moving brush fire swept through Wailea, CBS Hawaii affiliate KGMB reports. Guests and employees at Hotel Wailea, a five-star resort, were evacuated at about 8:30 p.m., almost two hours after the wind-whipped blaze started.
Hotel Wailea shut off propane tanks and police were on the property knocking on doors telling people to leave.
The American Red Cross of Hawaii opened an emergency shelter at a local community center to assist affected visitors and residents.
“Firefighters working to put out a brush fire on Oahu’s east side.” Credit: Hawaii News Now
The area of the fire is known for remnant native trees and plants that are a vibrant sight to see in Kaiwi. You can volunteer to be a part of the restoration efforts of this remarkable coastline here: http://kaiwicoast.org/volunteer.htm
From the Source:
Honolulu firefighters responded to a brush fire near Alan Davis Beach on Saturday.
Due to muddy off road conditions, crews were unable to access the fire with fire trucks.
“Personnel hiked in and initiated a ground fire attack in coordination with water drops from Air 1,” Fire Capt. Scot Seguirant said in a press release. “The Honolulu Police Department assisted with stopping beach goers from entering the burn area while they hiked to the beach from the lighthouse parking lot.”
Images from the fire on Saturday. Credit: Maui Fire Department
From the Source:
Maui firefighters are working to extinguish a brush fire that ignited early Saturday morning.
Maui fire officials said they were called out to the fire around 2 a.m. It started in the upper hills of Olowalu above a paintball field and tomato farm.
When MFD arrived on scene, the fire was about two acres in size and growing rapidly due to high winds. Additional resources were called in.
As of 12:15 p.m., the flames were 50 percent contained and 75 acres were blackened. Some 40 firefighters and crew members were still battling the flames.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of protection.””
