Maui Firefighters Extinguish Kula Agricultural Park Brush Fire

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Credit: Asa Ellison/Special to KHON2

HWMO is in the final stages of completing the Upcountry Maui Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), which will be up on our website soon. More and more wildfires are threatening Upcountry Maui, as witnessed with the latest brush fire that burned around 3 acres off of Pulehu Road below the Kula Agricultural Park. HWMO will be working with Waiohuli Hikina residents in Kula to help them become a Firewise Community this Fall, in preparation of the increase in wildfire activity in the area. 

From the Source: 

"It started at around 3:22 p.m. off Pulehu Road, below Kula Agricultural Park.

Fire officials say it burned two acres north of the road, and one acre to the south of it."

Blue Cut Fire in Southern California Updates and Stories (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)

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"Driving along the 138, everything looks scorched." Credit: @Brittny_Mejia

Wildfire season is off to a heavy start in California. 3 large wildfires - Blue Cut, Clayton, and Chimney - have collectively burned over 43,000 acres and destroyed over 200 homes. Many firefighters are claiming they have never seen fire behavior from these fires quite like they have this year. We keep hearing this year after year. The new norm is the abnormal with climate change.

Our thoughts are with all of those who have lost loved ones, homes and valuables through the rash of wildfires burning through California. Big shoutout to the first responders who have put their lives on the line during these harrowing fires.

From the Source:

"Paik said he has lived intermittently in his van over the last two days. When he left his house Tuesday night, he said, he didn't bring anything with him, but returned to his powerless home the next day to get clothes and his passport.

'The firemen worked hard,' he said. 'I had … confidence, maybe overconfidence, so I just brought nothing.'"

"Firefighters use standard guidelines to maneuver amid a fire, he said, prioritizing life safety over property conservation and property conservation over environmental protection. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

'It helps the firefighters,' he said, 'but every fire is different.  There’s not a set ‘If this is happening, do this.’ It’s all up to the best judgment of the firefighters.'"

Rash of Vehicle Fires Keep Maui Crews Busy

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Photo Credit: Wendy Osher/Maui Now

Abandoned vehicles are major fire hazards, especially along or within dry grass and brush. Just ask Maui firefighters who are working tirelessly to fight a number of abandoned car fires that seem to be growing on the island. Report any suspicious activity to the police. Mahalo!

From the Source:

At 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, two simultaneous but separate vehicle fires were reported on East Waikō Road in Waikapū. One was roughly 400 yards west of the Waiʻale Road intersection, and the other was about 300 yards east of the intersection.

At 3:52 a.m., the Wailuku crew found a truck on the shoulder of Waikō Road west of the Waiʻale Road intersection fully engulfed by fire, which was now spreading into the brush.

Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control, but not before it burned a 50 x 200 foot area of brush downwind and caused roughly $3,000 in damages to a nearby fence. The brush and vehicle fires were called extinguished at 4:34 a.m.

A fire investigator determined that that fire was intentionally set and originated in the bed of the truck, where a pile of car tires were believed to have been discarded. The Kahului engine and water tanker assisted the Wailuku crew after they extinguished the vehicle fire further down the street.

Brush Fire Burns Near Rio's Olympic Cycling Course (PHOTOS)

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"Athletes from Spain warm up on the pitch as a wildfire burns in the nearby hills of Deodoro before the quarterfinal hockey game against Great Britain on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Aug. 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil." (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Wildfires this year have even had an effect on the 2016 Rio Olympics. High temperatures and gusty winds fueled a brush fire that sent ash and debris on the field hockey facility and media tents, while also scorching part of the mountain bike course.

From the Source:

"A brush fire burned Monday near the Olympic cycling course in Rio de Janeiro, causing ash from the blaze to fall on the field hockey facility.

The fire started Monday afternoon as temperatures at the Deodoro Olympic Park soared to 97 degrees and winds turned gusty. The blaze was located near X-Park, which is hosting canoe slalom, BMX and mountain biking events. Later in the day, heavy rain fell on Rio, which delayed some of the track and field events.

Ash from the brush fire did not force any delays in a field hockey quarterfinal game between Britain and Spain, and the strong winds quickly blew away any ash that fell on the field."

As Peat Bogs Burn, A Climate Threat Rises

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"A peat sample showing the history of wildfires dating back hundreds of years. Scientists can trace the history of wildfires to better understand how the peat land acts as a carbon sink." (Ed Ou/New York Times)

Did you know that peatlands make up about 3 percent of the earth's land surface, but contain more carbon cumulatively than all of our trees and plants on this Earth? Can you imagine if these areas go up in flames? Check out this very interesting New York Times piece about the effect climate change is having on our peatlands and the potential for a shockingly immense amount of carbon release. 

From the Source:

“They take thousands of years to develop,” said Merritt Turetsky, a peat researcher at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “And in five minutes, a wildfire can blow through that area and release five to six hundred years of peat accumulation and change it forever.”

“Drier peat allows more oxygen to get to the roots of trees and other vegetation. This causes them to grow bigger, which means they use more water, further drying the peat.

As trees grow, they also provide more shade, which favors the growth of other mosses that, because they hold less moisture than sphagnum, are less fire resistant.

When the bog does catch fire, it may be more severe, with the combustion spreading deeper into the peat.”

Illegal Campfire Sparked Huge Big Sur-area Wildfire

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"A burnt bicycle and car sit beside the ruins of a home that was destroyed by the Soberanes Fire in Palo Colorado Canyon on the northern Big Sur Coast on July 26, 2016, in Big Sur, Calif." (David Royal/The Monterey County Herald via AP)

As is commonly said: "all it takes is one spark." Investigators have traced the now 43,000 acre brushfire burning through the beautiful Carmel, Big Sur, and Pebble Beach areas to a single illegal campfire. Dozens of homes have been destroyed by the dramatic fire. When it comes to campfires and BBQs, clear vegetation 10 feet around and above them. Keep a shovel and water nearby and put the fire out COLD before walking away. Avoid open fires when it is windy or grass and brush are dry and make sure to follow any regulations regarding fire use.

From the Source:

"Whoever built and then abandoned the fire around July 22 in the Garrapata State Park could face criminal and civil penalties for sparking the blaze, which has now burned more than 43,000 acres near Carmel, Big Sur and the Pebble Beach golf resort. Authorities said hikers who reported the fire had to first climb up to a ridge top to get mobile phone reception."

"Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency to free up resources for firefighting efforts, and several neighborhoods remain evacuated. Homes in the area are spread amongst the hills, linked by narrow roads winding through the tree-and-brush-covered landscape parched by the state’s ongoing drought. Due to the drought and fire risk, campfires outside of campgrounds are barred in large sections of California."