Electrical Arc Suspected of Starting Maalaea Brush Fires

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Post-fire next to powerlines from a previous wildfire in Maalaea in February 2016. Credit - HWMO

A common ignition source in West Maui is electrical arcing along powerlines. We are happy to say we are teaming up with MECO and Hawaii DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife on a project to clear hazardous vegetation from the powerlines. HWMO's $5,000 grant for fuels reduction along powerlines in the West Maui mauka area will be matched by MECO to help prevent wildfire ignitions.

From the Source:

"A passing motorist reported seeing a bright flash near the landfill and electrical transmission lines. Fire officials say the witness then saw a blue colored light travel quickly along the transmission line, across the highway, and up the West Maui Mountain.

Another flash of light was seen on the hillside and a short time later the brush fire was seen starting up."

Firefighters Contain Brush Fire Along Waialae Nui Ridge

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“Because of drought conditions, so far this year over 10,000 acres have already burned from brush fires — twice the number of acres burned during all of 2015.”

Firefighters are thus working as hard as ever to protect communities from dangerous wildfires, including this fire in Kahala that burned close to homes on a steep ridge. A rogue drone was flown in the operation area, prompting HFD and police to call on the drone operator to land. "Having a drone in the air just isn't safe" for firefighters. Please refrain from using drones in areas where firefighters are fighting a blaze. A GoPro video is not worth risking the safety of our firefighters. Please share this message.

From the Source:

“’I thought the fire was going the other way, but it came as close as my property line,’ said Waialae Nui resident Edwin Motoshige. ‘Firemen were here so thankfully, yeah, it was okay.’

‘During our operations, some of our firefighters noticed a drone in the air kind of hovering around right where we were working in our operational areas,’ he said.

Once HFD found the drone’s operator, police were called and the drone was forced to land. With Air One overhead and crews on the ground, Mejia said having a drone in the air just isn’t safe.

‘Sometimes it gets too close in the way of what we’re trying to do and if there’s a failure of the drone, who knows what could happen,’ he said.”

Organizations Kick Off Wildfire and Drought Look Out! Campaign

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Credit - Molly Solomon/HPR

HWMO and its partners statewide worked together to launch Wildfire & Drought Look Out!, Hawaii's first coordinated statewide wildfire outreach campaign. Here are a number of news clippings from TV, radio, and newspaper sources and the links to each source.

KHON2:

“‘I have been preparing for it for years now,’ said Momoa. ‘Ever since I moved in there, I could see the vision that it was going to burn soon.’”

Big Island Now:

“‘We have set up both a public and a media page on the HWMO website. The public page will have loads of information for home and property owners on how best to prepare for the possibility of wildfire well in advance,’ said HWMO Executive Director Elizabeth Pickett. ‘We’ll include water saving information which is really topical during this prolonged drought event in many areas across the state, largely caused by El Nino weather conditions.’

HWMO will also maintain and manage a media page, where partners can contribute story ideas and leads for reporters and their news organizations.”

Maui News:

“Prevention suggestions include:

* Clearing combustible materials near homes and lanais.

* Keeping grass short and tree branches off of the ground.

* Creating a defensible space at least 100 feet around a home.

* Removing leaves and debris from gutters and roofs.

* Covering eaves and vents with -inch mesh.

* Creating and practicing a family evacuation plan.”

HPR:

“With an above-average fire season ahead, state officials stress a need for public awareness. Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization is a nonprofit that’s working with federal, state and local agencies to kick start a campaign to provide information and tips for homeowners. More information can be found on their website, hawaiiwildfire.org.”

Honolulu Civil Beat:

More than 60 percent of the state is experiencing moderate drought conditions, and parts of the Big Island are facing extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

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Credit - Clay Trauernicht

“We hope this campaign, which has both a public and a media component, will educate and inform everyone living in and visiting Hawaii about the year-around threat of wildfires,” DLNR Director Suzanne Case said in a release.

Hookele News:

“The campaign seeks to educate homeowners and communities and empower them to take proactive steps that reduce the chances of wildfire ignition and create safer conditions for our firefighters.”

PHOTOS: Kanehoa Community Clears the Way to Being 'Firewise'

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Credit: HWMO

We cannot be any happier to see the great work the Kanehoa Firewise Committee and residents have put in to reduce the wildfire threat in their area. The second Firewise Community in Hawaii is well on their way to retaining that title for this year and beyond!

From the Source:

"Members of the Kanehoa community spent their Saturday making their community safer against the threat of wildfires.

The Hawai’i Wildfire Management’s Wildfire Prep Day provided communities across the island, state, and nation to participate in a day of preparation in honor of Wildfire Preparedness Month.

In total, two dozen Kanehoa community members joined in to remove an entire large dumpster with haole koa, also known as ekoa. The plant is known to be highly flammable and has the potential to create embers that can spark new fires, both near and far away."

"'All of us at Hawai’i Wildfire Management Organization are very proud of the work the Kanehoa community has contributed towards reducing the wildfire threat in their area and we hope more communities will follow their lead,' Pablo Akira Beimler, HWMO Community Outreach Coordinator, said in an e-mail.

Beimler says the efforts greatly reduced the wildfire threat by ensuring the roads can act as a fuel break to slow the spread of wildfire."

Fort McMurray Fire Photos Show Incredible Power of Historic Wildfire

Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada is facing a major crisis right now: a massive wildfire that has prompted the largest fire evacuation in the province's history. Over 88,000 residents were ordered to evacuate the fire that is even taking out parts of downtown. Our hearts go out to all of those affected - we know how terrifying it must be but the safest bet is to leave and to leave early during times like these.

From the Source:

"According to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, 80 per cent of the houses in the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill were destroyed by the powerful blaze.

Firefighters say they are preparing for a “worse” day Wednesday, anticipating strong winds and dry conditions to feed the already out of control 7,500-hectare-large inferno.

All 105 patients were evacuated from the local Northern Lights hospital within two hours, officials said at a news conference."

Hawaii Faces Increased Wildfire Risk This Summer

Nationally, Hawaii is on the map this year (along with Alaska and the Southwest) as being an area of "increased danger for significant wildland fires from May through August" according to a new report from the National Interagency Fire Center.

Our partners Clay Trauernicht, from University of Hawaii CTAHR Cooperative Extension, and Captain David Jenkins, from Honolulu Fire Department, do a great job in this Hawaii News Now report to explain the current drought and wildfire situation and what that means for Hawaii visitors and residents.  Stay tuned for the statewide wildfire prevention and preparedness campaign set to launch real soon!

From the Source:

'We've sort of been tracking the progression of the drought, so we're pretty well aware that we're facing an above-average fire season for the summer,' said Clay Trauernicht, a wildfire specialist with the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension.

'We're seeing reports of El Nino subsiding, but what that means for us is, it's sort of leading us right into our summertime dry season. So even though it's going to look like a normal summer, we have this big rainfall deficit from the wintertime,' Trauernicht said.

Several agencies are working together and will soon be launching a new wildfire prevention and preparedness campaign to help keep communities safe.

'There's a lot of things you can do both to prevent fires from starting, as well as reducing fire risks around your homes,' Trauernicht said."

Worsening Drought Signals Wildfire Stricken Summer

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Credit: KITV4

El Nino may be weakening, but that doesn't mean its effects are...in fact, we haven't realized the full impact of its effects just yet. Hawaii's current drought is expected to worsen which means a higher potential for more wildfires. May is Wildfire Preparedness Month. Learn how you can take action today!

From the Source:

"Although those dry conditions from El Nino are weakening, a drought-stricken Summer is right around the corner. 

'This year we're well ahead of schedule for how dry we are,' said Ian Morrison, Meteorologist for the National Weather Service. 'We're about three months ahead of where we would normally be. So we're about to reach a threshold in Hawai'i where normally we wouldn't hit that threshold until July.' 

That dryness translates to parched vegetation, a wildfires food of choice. 

'Most of the fuels are going to be very dry on the Leeward side,' Morrison added. 'So they're going to be much easier to start fires, and much easier  to maintain fires.'"

"Though there is hope for more rain next Winter, it falls on the responsibility of everyone to help keep brush and wildfires to a minimum this season."