Residents Return to "War Zone" After Wildfire Engulfs Homes (VIDEO)

"PHOTO: A man stands in front of the remains of his fire-destroyed home, June 29, 2015, in Wenatchee, Wash." Credit - Elaine Thompson/AP Photo

Embers can be one of the greatest threats during a wildfire near a community. This Washington fire set homes and businesses ablaze in the heart of the city, a testament to the importance of preparing for wildfire no matter how far you are from the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Our hearts go out to those who've lost their homes and businesses - we can't imagine how difficult of a recovery that must be.

From the Source:

"Homeowners forced to evacuate recently because of a rapidly moving wildfire in Washington state returned today to find that the blaze had burned so hot that few of their belongings remained or were even recognizable.

'[It] looks like a war zone,' Diane Reed told ABC News affiliate KOMO-TV. 'I've never seen anything like it ... To just sit back and think, I don't even have a fork or a plate or clothing — just your basic things that we all take for granted. It's just gone.'

Wenatchee, a town with a population of 30,000, suffered a double whammy. As fire ripped through neighborhoods and burning embers ignited several large businesses downtown, nearly half the city was ordered to shelter in place after an industrial fire and ammonia leak released a dangerous smoke plume."

Two Years After Deadly Wildfire, Are There Lessons In the Ashes?

"An aerial view shows the Yarnell Hill fire burning June 29, 2013 near the town of Yarnell, Ariz. The next day, 19 firefighters died battling the blaze." Credit - Arizona State Forestry Division/Getty Images

Check out this 5-minute audio report about the Yarnell Hill fire that claimed 19 firefighters' lives - interview with Kyle Dickman, a former hotshot who wrote the book "On the Burning Edge." "He tells NPR's Eric Westervelt about the wall of flames that the Granite Mountain Hotshots faced, and how the incident has - and hasn't - changed firefighting technology and practices.

From the Source:

"On one firefighter whose story sticks with him

One boy's name was Grant McKee; he was the youngest guy on the crew. And Grant McKee was really hesitant. He didn't necessarily want to join the crew, and he didn't want to be a hotshot, he wanted to be a paramedic. And so he had a really hard time sort of fitting into the rough-and-tumble culture of the hotshot crew. And I think what touched me about Grant's story was watching him come into it, so reluctant to join the crew, and then go from being an outcast to being an accepted member and actually sort of falling in love with the job.

On whether the tragedy was caused by bad luck or "unforgivable human error," and the changes he'd like to see

What I would like to see is a larger percentage of that money going toward preparing for wildfires. So instead of spending billions fighting them, we should be spending ... billions preparing for them — by thinning the forest, by using more prescribed fire, by letting more wildfires burn."

Firefighters Deal with More 'Suspicious' Brush Fires Near Makakilo

"Video still courtesy Saburban Castillo"

From the Source:

"Firefighters battled three brush fires just off the H-1 Freeway near Makakilo Sunday morning. It’s the second round of wildfires in that area in less than a week and the Honolulu Fire Department is once again calling it 'suspicious.'

'I don’t see the police arresting anyone hardly when it comes to fire,' he said, 'because it’s hard to get the evidence. You literally have to have the smoking gun in your hand.'

He hopes a concerted effort by all concerned can help pin down a fire-starter. 'The general public, if they see something suspicious on the highways, take the license number down and report it to the police. Let’s all join in and help solve the problem.'"

Suspicious Fire Burns 4 Acres of Sugar Cane in Paia

Credit - Maui Now

Cane fires are quite dangerous fires for firefighters to fight on foot. Help them by reporting any suspicious behavior to your local police.

From the Source:

"The incident was the second unscheduled cane fire in as many days reported in the Pāʻia area.  An estimated one acre of sugar cane was burned in a separate incident on Thursday night near the old Lime Kiln site.

The latest fire was reported at 8:42 p.m. on Friday near Hāna Highway and the Pāʻia mini-bypass.

While waiting for representatives from Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company to arrive, the Pāʻia fire crew and a Kahului water tanker were able to contain about 80% of the fire using large fire streams of water from fire trucks outside the field. 'Crews do not send firefighters on foot into cane fires because of unwarranted risks,' said Maui Fire Services Officer Edward Taomoto in a department press release."

Succulents and Wildflowers Leave Water-Wasting Lawns in the Dust

Credit - Heather Ross/Earthjustice

For dry side residents: Not only do succulents and native plants protect your home from wildfire, they can also dramatically reduce your water bill and will draw in pollinators. Here's a great article about the many benefits of succulent/native gardening.

From the Source:

“There used to be a lawn here,” Ramirez says, “but I wanted more texture, form and variation.” After using stacked layers of cardboard, compost and mulch—called sheet mulching—to kill the parched grass, Ramirez transplanted his diverse collection of potted succulents into a mix of soil, pumice and lava rock. He says he now waters as little as twice a month in sunnier times and never in the winter...

Putting succulents and native plants around your home not only saves precious water, but it also creates more habitat for bees and other pollinators, including 1,600 California native bee species. The University of California, Berkeley Urban Bee Lab offers a helpful guide to native and exotic plants that bees love…

'To avoid pesticides, choose the right plants,' Brenzel advises. Pests don’t bother drought-tolerant plants as often, and Brenzel says if you make your garden inviting to predators like birds they’ll do the bug-catching for you. She and Elana Chavez, a landscaper in Redwood City, recommend fragrant plants like lavender, yarrow, salvias, and California lilac to entice pollinators like hummingbirds and bees (not to mention human visitors)."

Hot Shot Crew Raising Funds for Fallen Firefighters' Memorial

A nice representation of the strong kinship held amongst wildland firefighters. 

From the Source: 

"'There's a strong family vibe through the wildland fire community,' Curry said.

That is the reason the Lone Peak Hot Shots decided to do something so these men would always be remembered. They're hoping to build a memorial at the site where Tompkins and Chambless died. The memorial will include two granite obelisks measuring 5 feet tall. They hope they will serve as a reminder to all who see them.

Kauai Firefighters Battle Brush Fire in Kaumakani

Credit - Kauai Fire Department

The importance of lending support to firefighters as a large landowner goes a long way. If you are a large landowner or manager, make sure to disclose any support you can give to your local fire department ahead of time, before there's even a fire threat. 

From the Source:

"Kauai firefighters extinguished a brush fire that broke out shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday in Kaumakani.

The fire scorched nearly 600 acres of land owned by Gay & Robinson. Strong winds made it difficult but firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by 4 p.m., officials said.

Crews from the Waimea, Hanapepe, Kalaheo and Kapaa stations responded along with Rescue 3, Air 1 and a battalion chief. Firefighters also received assistance from the landowner, who provided water trucks and other equipment."

Kapolei Brush Fires Considered 'Suspicious', Why So Few Cases Lead to Arrest

Credit - Jinelle Kaleikini

Arson is a very hard case to pull together, but with the help of everyday citizens, making the call to the local Police Department could make a significant impact.

From the Source:

“'It seems to be relatively infrequent,' said former Honolulu prosecuting attorney Peter Carlisle. 'There are plenty of fires intentionally set, but they’re difficult to prove because nobody saw what, when and how it started.'...

Officials say for justice to be served, prosecutors need evidence.

“We ask the public to report to police if they saw anything suspicious, before, during or after a brush fire. If they saw a car driving away, if they saw someone throw something into the bushes, we want people to report that,” said Capt. David Jenkins with Honolulu Fire Department.

“It would be extremely important whether you saw somebody running or the size of the person… Those types of things are very, very helpful,” said Carlisle.

HFD Investigates String of Suspicious Brush Fires

Credit - Katie Gowen

If you see any suspicious behavior, please report to Honolulu FD or PD.

From the Source:

"Nearly 30 firefighters responded to the first call at around 6:30 p.m. and extinguished the three fires – all located near the eastbound lanes of the H-1 Freeway, between the Makakilo off-ramp and North-South Road -- by 7:15 p.m. Each burned less than a half acre.

Investigators believe all three fires are suspicious because they started around the same time in roughly the same area."

Where to Watch 4th of July Fireworks in Hawaii

Credit - KHON2

Nothing says Fourth of July like a good fireworks show. This holiday, however, is also the day with the most wildfires on average per year (along with New Year's Eve). HWMO, Hawaii Fire Department, and other fire agencies recommend going to a professional show rather than playing with fireworks at home. We're hoping for an injury-less, wildfire-less 4th of July this year.

Here is a list of shows on each island.

New Community Partnership on Hawaii Island Aims to Improve Water Quality

"Rocky coastline on Hawaii Island." Credit - UH Manoa

We are excited to be a partner of UH Sea Grant and South Kohala Coastal Partnership for this incredible project. Post-fire erosion has always been a major concern for HWMO, so we linked up with Sierra Tobiason and the rest of the partnership for this forward-thinking project to provide any help we could, including funding support for fuels reduction (which has taken place at a couple of sites within the last month.) 

From the Source:

"The two-year Wai 2 Kai project will take place at five sites along the Waikoloa stream and within the Wai‘ula‘ula Watershed. At these sites volunteers will be recruited to install and maintain raingardens, participate in stream and beach clean-ups, remove invasive plant species, and help the project reach its goal of planting 20,000 native plants."

These native plant restoration and Wai 2 Kai volunteer activities were designed to not only restore and improve water quality, but to encourage long-lasting stewardship and understanding of the importance of healthy watersheds.

Said Tobiason, 'The organizations, agencies and community groups of the South Kohala Coastal Partnership have been instrumental in helping to develop collaborative stewardship opportunities to improve the water quality from wai to kai -- the stream to the ocean. It is very exciting to have so much community involvement and partnership support in this project as we work together to improve water quality and reduce impacts to coral reef ecosystems.'"

Hawaii Firefighter Recruits Complete Training

Congratulations to the new class of Hawaii County Fire Department firefighters. Here's to a full year of rigorous training that included wildland fire training (and an Ready, Set, Go! Workshop by HWMO) and to the safety and wellbeing of our new service men/women.

Credit - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

From the Source:

"The class underwent 12 months of intensive instruction, classroom exercises and field work. The recruits received fire and rescue training that included a nationally recognized fire science curriculum, wild land fire training, rescue operations familiarization, aquatics competency certification and driver training."

"Training Capt. Darwin Okinaka and Recruit Training Officer Fire Rescue Specialist James Wilson spoke about the Hawaii Fire Department’s core values as well as stating that the duty of a firefighter is a great honor and privilege that should be earned, not given out as a liberty.

The 43rd firefighter class message was delivered by class president Mark Mochida.

'Training was not easy,' said Mochida, who thanked the chiefs, families, fellow firefighters and trainers. 'Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. Shake it off, take a step and learn from it.'"

Crews From Lower 48 Race to Rampaging Wildfire Near Anchorage, Alaska

"Willow wildfire grows to nearly 1,100 acres as state requests Anchorage, Outside help..."

It takes a village and then some to pull together to fight large wildfires. On the community side, resident and business cooperation and early evacuation can lead to less headaches for fire and safety personnel. Fire suppression support can come from other regions, spanning the 48 lower states (and sometimes from Hawaii, as well.) Even evacuation planning for pets can go a long way...

From the Source:

"Homes were being evacuated and fire crews from the lower 48 states were racing to a wildfire north of Anchorage, Alaska, that grew to 6,500 acres in just hours, authorities said Monday."

Residents began fleeing from a voluntary evacuation area covering both sides of a 15-mile stretch of the George Parks Highway. As of Sunday evening, more than 200 people had signed into one evacuation center near Talkeetna. But the total number of evacuations wasn't immediately available.

About 25 'primary structures,' including homes, have been destroyed by the fire, Sam Harrel, spokesman of BLM Alaska Fire Services, said Monday.

The entire Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fire Department was at the scene, along with crews and helicopters from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, White Mountain, Alaska Fire Services and the Forestry Division. They totaled about 200, with another 100, and at least 10 hotshot crews from other states, on their way, officials said. Another three Alaska Air National Guard Blackhawk helicopters to help with bucket work on the fire.

Kokee Road on Kauai Reopened, Brush Fire 100 Percent Contained

Screen capture from KHON2

Amazing job by our fire suppression agencies - it takes a collaborative effort amongst agencies to put fires out like this.

From the Source:

"As of Sunday afternoon, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said the fire has burned more than 400 acres...

At approximately 10 p.m. Friday, a bulldozer was dispatched by DOFAW to cut firebreaks on an old dirt road. This enabled two DOFAW and two Kauai Fire Department trucks to reach the west and north flanks of the fire and begin to battle it. The first responders continued their efforts until approximately 2 a.m. Saturday and then returned to their respective stations...

Air 1 arrived on scene at 7:30 a.m. to do water drops and three bulldozers and a water tender contracted by DOFAW arrived about an hour later to assist.

According to a preliminary investigation, the fire started on the side of Kokee Road just before the “hairpin turn” roughly one mile up from the base of the roadway. The fire then travelled all the way up to Pokii Ridge where it continues to burn."

Waikoloa Breeze June 2015 - Wildfire Prep Day Review, Volunteer of Month, Goat Dozing

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This month's Waikoloa Breeze featured HWMO a number of times. 

1) Wildfire Prep Day recap (pg. 4)
2) Volunteer of the Month: Mark Gordon, Waikoloa CERT and active member of the Waikoloa Firewise Team. He has assisted in helping raise awareness for wildfires in the community, and has contributed to HWMO efforts through a variety of ways. Congratulations Mark! Thanks for all you do! (pg. 8)
3) Update on goat-dozing for fuels reduction within the community's vacant lots - a project we're helping fund and support. (pg. 24)

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Firefighters Contain 200-Acre Brush Fire in Kunia

“It’s very scary,” said one resident. “We are just kind of freaked out. Nothing like this is ever happened around here… We’re going to start packing just in case (we need to evacuate).”

A close call for this Kunia community is an important reminder to have an evacuation plan that includes everyone in the household, even your pets. 

Photo Courtesy of Dominique Dacanay

From the Source:

“'My neighbor was actually on the roof. He could see and tell that it was pretty bad. I mean you didn’t have to be on the roof to see it that’s how high the flames,' said resident Wally Kumura."

"Crews got the call just after 6 p.m. Monday. The fire burned 200 acres north of the Royal Kunia subdivision."

"Marie Anderson rushed to her parents’ home to help take care of them and their dogs.

'I was fortunate because I was off tonight from work, so I was able to get here in time and just safety and secure and making sure everybody does stay safe,' she said."

2 Brush Fires Near Pukalani Appear to be Suspicious

Photo Credit: KITV4

Remember to report suspicious activity to your local police department. We need to make sure our communities are not threatened by unnecessary ignition risks.

From the Source:

"Just before midnight, firefighters from Makawao, Kula and Kahului responded to a brush fire near the split at Old Haleakala Highway and the Haleakala Highway bypass.

When the Makawao got to the scene, there were two separate fires -- one on the north side of the Haleakala bypass and the other was on the south side."

Alaska Fire Crews Battling 2 Large Tundra Wildfires

"Smoke rises from the Bogus Creek Fire, one of two fires burning in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Alaska. Fire managers said Monday that weekend rain helped tamp down the fires which, together, total about 63 square miles. (Matt Snyder/Alaska Division of Forestry via AP)"

Wildfires in the tundra in Alaska may become more of a frequent thing over the next century due to changing climate conditions.

From the Source:

"Alaska gets fewer fires in tundra than in forests, and tundra fires tend to be smaller, but they are not unheard of, according to Fish and Wildlife Service fire ecologist Lisa Saperstein.

Tundra fires are more common in southwest Alaska, but rare in the far north, she said. In 2007, a lightning-caused fire burned 400 square miles in the Brooks Range in the North Slope in an area where lightning is an anomaly.

The current fires are burning about 400 miles south of where the 2007 fire took place. Both fires are located in a biologically dynamic area where waterfowl nest, Saperstein said."

"According to a 2013 report by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, climate change could be a factor in a growing number of fires in tundra ecosystems over the next century."

Kalanianaole Highway Reopens Near Sea Life Park

From the Source

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Credit: Tracey Nakama
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29234428/brush-fire-closes-kalanianaole-highway-near-sea-life-park

"Kalanianaole Highway from Queen's Beach to Sea Life Park was reopened around 5:15 p.m. after it was shut down by a brush fire, police said Wednesday afternoon.

The brush fire had blocked Waimanalo-bound traffic on the highway from Queen's Beach to Sea Life Park.

Firefighters have contained 50 percent of the fire but were still battling the blaze on the Hawaii Kai side of the highway.

The fire had burned about 10 acres near the Makapuu Light House trail near Queen’s Beach, said Honolulu fire spokesman Capt. David Jenkins."