News Center
The Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center re-opened on Monday following damage from the Waiko Road fire earlier this month.
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
A great story about how fire-resistant, native vegetation can help to slow a wildfire Here, from Hawaii Public Radio:
Many Maui residents and Firefighters can take a sigh of relief today, as the wildfire that burned 9,200 total acres has been declared fully contained.
While the blaze spread quickly across the old sugarcane plantation fields and unmanaged grasslands, there were no reported injuries from this event.
Thank you Maui Fire department for containing this incredible blaze!
(Source: MFD and Hawaii News Now)
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A pair of wildfires on Maui that began late last week have been 100 percent contained, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino announced Monday morning.
Firefighters will continue working in the area until the fires are extinguished. The flames burned a combined 9,200 acres, causing power outages and cancelling flights out of the Kahului airport.
Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate the area Thursday, at the height of the flames, and the nearby Maui Humane Society actually recruited community volunteers to help transport animals to safety.
“Words cannot express how relieved I am that there were no injuries or major property damage from what were dangerous, fast-moving fires that required evacuations and road closures,” Victorino said.
The fire currently under way on Maui is going to continue through the night as firefighting crews remain cautious while fighting the 3000 acre blaze. With a number of road closures and evacuations that have been underway today, there have been many people and animals displaced due to this fast moving brush fire. We hope that the Maui County Fire Department stays safe as they attempt to control and extinguish the brushfire.
Motorists left Kihei on Thursday evening through charred Maui Veterans Highway amid a rapidly moving brush fire that consumed 3,000 acres as it swept from Kahului toward north Kihei due to high winds.
Access into Kihei on the highway was reopened at 9:30 p.m. after being closed in the afternoon. The county said that vehicles were being escorted through North Kihei Road.
A Kihei shelter reached capacity at 450 people. A mandatory evacuation of north Kihei residents was lifted at about 9:30 p.m.
All ground firefighter crews were set to work through the night to try to contain the fire, which remained a “very dynamic situation,” according to Maui Fire Department Fire Services Chief Rylan Yatsushiro late Thursday night.
Road closures:
• North Kihei Road (vehicles being escorted).
• Hansen Road.
Road reopenings:
• Kuihelani Highway.
• All lanes of Maui Veterans Highway.
• Waiko Road.
(click on the Maui News link above to learn more about shelters that are open and/or at capacity)
The Maui Humane Society was one of the first places to be evacuated earlier Thursday afternoon.
“It was black smoke, and it was pretty thick. We could absolutely see the flames. They were close,” said Nancy Willis with the Maui Humane Society.
They moved over 200 animals, with the help of residents and other shelters. They set up at Maui High School where many workers and volunteers are taking care of the animals.
“We’re working on a generator, lights and cots. Lots of people are helping us. We’ve put that plan into place, just in case,” said Willis.
Over 600 people have checked into shelters at the Kihei Community Center, Kamalii Elementary School and War Memorial Gymnasium as of 9 p.m. Thursday night.
As darkness set in, Maui Mayor Mike Victorino said firefighters would not bring it under control overnight.
"We can't fight the fire tonight. We're not going to send any firefighters into harm's way," Victorino said Thursday.
Wildfires are much less contained to a specific time of the year than they have been in the past. Instead fire has become a year-round occurrence that could present itself at almost anytime. Be wary of activities that could lead to sparking fire as Hawaii enters the time of year that is still more at risk for wildfires. While there have been plenty of recent rain events throughout the state, it is very likely that severe drought season is on the horizon, with fire fuel loads now in higher supply. It takes only one spark.
Ken Pimlott, retired chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spoke recently in Honolulu. He agreed that pre-fire vegetation management work is a necessary action to reducing the risks of fire as we enter this more fire-prone season.
Ken Pimlott - retired chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection speaks in Honolulu about the current fire risks we are facing.
Check out this very informative article by Big Island Now to get the scoop on what the technical specialists have been discussing in the realm of wildfire.
From the Source at Big Island Now:
Michael Walker, state fire forester for the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), repeated a common refrain, “Like everywhere else in the west, Hawai‘i does not have a specific fire season. It used to be we geared up for battling wildland fires in late summer and early fall, as those times historically were the most common times for big fires. Driven by our changing, warming climate, fire season here in the islands, like in all western states on the mainland, is now year around.”
Clay Trauernicht, a wildland fire specialist with the University of Hawai‘i’s Cooperative Extension Service traces how the potential for wildland fire has steadily grown over the years.
Trauernicht explained, “Agriculture and ranching declines have left us with about one million acres of non-native grasses and shrubs statewide. This vegetation is incredibly prone to burning during drought. Clearing and cleaning up the brush on your property is critical for the safety of your family, home, and our firefighters. On top of this, we have some of the highest frequencies of fire starts in the US. About 75% of those ignitions are accidental, which means they can be prevented. So take care with campfires, BBQs, using machinery and running cars over and around dry grass. We also see big spikes in wildfires around the holidays… ”
Hawaii County Fire Department has been gifted an amazing machine to assist in fighting fire. This “Bulldog Tanker” will help firefighters on Hawaii island traverse rugged terrain easier while suppressing fires. A wonderful gift from the Daniel Sayre Memorial Foundation.
(HawaiiNewsNow) -Hawaii county firefighters blessed a brand new Bulldog tanker this weekend.
It’s the first of its kind in the state.
The Howe and Howe Technology Fire tanker was donated by the Daniel Sayre Memorial Foundation at a cost of $313,000.
The foundation said an anonymous donor wanted to give back after firefighters saved their home from an 18,000 acre brush fire in South Kohala.
