Crews Battle Brush Fire in Laupahoehoe

"COLIN M. STEWART/Tribune-Herald A Hawaii County rescue helicopter returns after making several water drops above the wildfire in Laupahoehoe Tuesday afternoon."

The Hamakua coastline is not typically known for its wildfire issues. However, during times of drought, which we are currently entering into due to El Niño, wet areas can burn. This might be a telling sign of things to come. Even if you live in a typically wet area, it's best to prepare for wildfires now rather than when it's too late. Find out more about resources that will help you prepare.

From the Source:

"Located in the mauka areas near the ends of Spencer Road and Kihalani Homestead Road, the fire had charred large patches of the hillside and appeared at one point to approach at least one home at the top of the hill near the end of Spencer Road, the source said. The firefighters managed to knock the blaze in that area down, however, using a pair of fire engines and a county helicopter outfitted with a large water bucket.

The helicopter was seen making its way down to a livestock pond in the area several times to refill the bucket and return to drop it on hot spots on the hillside."

"A four-wheel drive road between Kihalani Homestead Road and Spencer Road appeared to have acted as a natural fire break in a few spots, with areas mauka of the road burned black and smoldering, while makai fields appeared to remain untouched."

Fire Engine Donated to Hawaii CC Fire Science Students

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"Hawai’i Community College Fire Science students and instructors from the Fire Science and Diesel Mechanics programs stand with the fire engine, donated recently by the Honolulu Fire Department. Back row: Matthew Winters, left, and Jacob Smith. Front row, left to right: Fire Science Instructor Jack Minassian, Kawai Ronia, Jayce Ah Heong, Michael Rangasan, and Diesel Mechanics Instructor Mitchell Soares. Hawai’i CC courtesy photo." (Credit: Big Island Now)

Congratulations to Jack Minassian, a long-time partner of HWMO, and all involved with the Fire Science program at Hawaii Community College. Thanks to Honolulu Fire Department donations, the Fire Science program will be able to provide hands-on learning experience for its students "as they prepare to enter the workforce." It's great to watch this program really grow every year!

From the Source:

“'This fire engine will be a great teaching tool,' said Hawai’i CC Fire Science Instructor ­Jack Minassian. 'For example, students in the fire hydraulics class will be able to practice providing proper water pressure and proper gallons per minute on a fire while using real equipment.'

Graduates of Hawai’i CC’s Fire Science program have been employed within federal, state, and local fire service agencies, according to Minassian."

Student Earns National Fire Prevention Award

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"Waimea Middle School student Kyren Martins was selected as one of 10 national recipients of the $500 'TakeAction' community service funding award."

Out of our superb team of action takers in Waimea sprouted a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) #‎TakeAction winner! Congratulations Kyren Martins!

From the Source:

"Five Waimea Middle School students assembled together in a group organized by the Hawai’i Wildlife Management Organization to address wildfire prevention and preparedness. One of those students gained national recognition."

"Martins and Rillanos created prevention signs, Murakami-Mattos worked on a video project that focuses on 'good versus bad defensible space,' and Bell-Kaopuiki and Rivera joined together to remove flammable plant debris from the Mālaʻai Culinary Garden.

Martins was one of ten national recipients. His family was affected by the Kawaihae fire and flooding that followed in August. As a project, Martins made and installed a wildfire prevention sign at the edge of his home, visible from the roadway."

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Waimea Youth Wildfire Prep Team

Maui's Trucker Dukes Made Honorary Firefighter (VIDEO)

"Trucker Dukes shooting water with his dad, firefighter Joshua Dukes outside of the Kahului Fire Station. Photo by Wendy Osher."

A touching story of firefighters and the local community coming together to help a boy's fight against a rare and aggressive cancer. Find out how you can help at the end of the article.

From the Source:

"Beloved Maui boy, Trucker Dukes, who has been battling a rare and aggressive cancer for about a year, was recognized today as an honorary firefighter with the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety.  The event included a badge pinning ceremony, taking an oath to fight hard against cancer, a spin around the station in a fire truck, chocolate cake, toy firetrucks and his own firefighter turnout gear."

Wildfire Season Rages On at University Museum of Art (Audio)

Art is not only a medium of self-expression, but also an important way to convey messages to the general public. Science and art are also not mutually exclusive.

Bryan David Griffith, Broken Equilibrium and Reconstruction. PHOTO: Tom Alexander, Courtesy of the University of Arizona Museum of Art

From the Source:

"Wildfire season has officially comes to a close, but it roars on at the University of Arizona Museum of Art's 'Fires of Change' exhibit, featuring the work of 11 artists.

Before they started to work on their pieces, the artists spent a week with scientists learning about fires in the forests of Northern Arizona in what museum officials call a wildfire bootcamp."

"Miller said the exhibition doesn’t dwell on the destructive force of fire.

"But as a necessary part of the forest ecosystem that’s all part of the rejuvenation of the forest, and the more humans suppress fires, the more catastrophic they become," she said.

The 11 artists worked across a range of mediums: installation, film, sculpture, even quilting."

Proposed Global Satellite Network Could Detect Wildfires in 15 Minutes

"FireSat, a concept developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, could detect wildfires within 15 minutes anywhere in the world. (Image provided by NASA/JPL)"

This might become the biggest game changer in wildfire detection, especially for remote areas (and Hawaii has quite a few of them).

From the Source:

"A San Francisco-based company wants to turn technology developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory into a global network of satellites that can report a wild fire anywhere in the world within 15 minutes.

The FireSat system, built around a low-power sensor that can detect fires once they reach 35 to 50 feet, would notify emergency services within three minutes after the detection. The system of more than 200 satellites would provide almost nonstop wildfire detection from space.

'You basically get coverage of every location on earth, once every 15 minutes,' said Arthur Lane, technical coordinator for FireSat at Quadra Pi R2E, the San Francisco Company behind the program."

Lower Sea Temperatures Could Bring Positive Conditions for Stressed Coral

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Credit: West Hawaii Today

Good news in the short-term with coral recovery after a stressful El Nino summer for our precious coastal resources. However, in the long run, our coral reefs face a number of challenges, one of those being post-fire runoff from wildfires. We are expected for a very dry winter, which could mean an uptick in wildfires. An increase in wildfires could mean more trouble for our reefs once the exposed soil is potentially washed out to sea by rainfall.

From the Source:

"'Many of the bleached corals in Kaneohe Bay are now showing signs of recovery — that is, their color is returning to normal darker brown rather than very pale brown or white that was the state of play in the middle of the bleaching event in September,' Gates said. 'The immediate threat to corals associated with higher than normal sea water temperatures has receded. The longer term impact of the bleaching event remain to be seen, sometimes bleached corals recover but they fail to reproduce the following year. This is not good.'"

"On land, El Nino is expected to dry out the Big Island and even cause drought, especially in leeward areas where the winter tends to be the dry season anyway. Fire personnel also expect the dry weather ahead to raise fire danger because of a massive fuel load created when vegetation flourished during heavy rainfall this summer."

Cause of Kahikinui Brush Fire Under Investigation

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Credit: KITV4

Wildfires are beginning to pickup with the drying out of flammable vegetation across the islands. Kahikinui has long been an area of concern for wildfires and continues to be under threat today. Mahalo to firefighters for controlling the brush fire, which shut down Piilani Highway, quickly.

From the Source:

"On Monday, Piilani Highway in the Kahikinui area on the southern slopes of Haleakala was closed due to a 15-acre brush fire, according to Maui fire officials.

Since 5:11 a.m., crews have been battling a brush fire between mile post 24.5 and 26 on Piilani Highway. At 9 a.m., Kula firefighters had the fire 80 percent contained. No structures were in immediate danger and no evacuations of homes were ordered.

Two helicopters provided water drops to the hard-to-reach areas of the fire perimeter while ground crews walked to the fire line dousing hot spots." 

Fire Endangers Kohala Again as Kawaihae Blaze Carries Memories of Destructive Summer Fire

"The wreckage from a semi and fire truck collision is seen on Kawaihae Road Friday afternoon. Laura Shimabuku/West Hawaii Today"

The first sign of a busy winter occurred in Kawaihae this week. Although the area turned green and lush after the large summer Kawaihae fire that scarred 4,000+ acres, that also meant more plant growth and thus more fuel for the next fire. Within a few months, a chunk of the area that burned in August burned again. We call this the fire cycle. 

Unfortunately, two HFD firefighters were injured when responding to the wildfire. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their ohana and we hope for a speedy recovery. We must give thanks everyday (not just on Thanksgiving) to the incredible firefighters who put their bodies and lives on the line to protect our communities and natural resources from fire. 

From the Source:

"The residents of Kawaihae Village had another immediate view of the progressing blaze, as several watched the varying size of the smoke column, the actions of the Fire Department’s water-dropping helicopters and efforts of ground-based firefighters."

"Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said on Monday that they expect the upcoming dry season to have numerous fires. The unusually heavy rains encouraged plant growth, he said, particularly fountain grass. The invasive species survives fires, unlike native life, and 'makes excellent fuel for fires,' according to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council.

Oliveira said fountain grass forms the majority of fuel in the wildfires they see."

Fast-Spreading Ohia Wilt Disease Now Killing Trees in Holualoa, Kealakekua

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"An ohia stand grows in Kaloko Mauka. A fast-spreading wilt disease has been discovered in trees on the west side of the island. Laura Shimabuku/West Hawaii Today"

A new challenge for the health of our sensitive native forests has quickly emerged: rapid ohia death. Disease leads to dead trees. Dead trees mean more fuel. More fuel means a higher wildfire risk.

Mahalo to our long-time partner, J.B. Friday for helping raise the awareness level of this important issue!

From the Source:

"The fungus, which spread swiftly over more than 16,000 acres in East Hawaii, has been discovered in trees in Holualoa and Kealakekua, said James Friday, an extension forester with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources in Hilo."

“Don’t move wood around, don’t move plants around,” Friday told a packed Council Chambers at the forum sponsored by Rep. Nicole Lowen. “Kaloko mauka is what I’m really worried about. You buy infected wood from Puna, cut it up in your driveway, the sawdust blows around, and you just infected your forest.”

Indonesia Uses Trained Elephants to Control Forest Fires

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"In this Sunday, Nov. 10, 2015 photo, forestry officials ride on the back of an elephant as they patrol an area affected by forest fire in Siak, Riau province, Indonesia." (AP Photo/Rony Muharrman)

The elephant plays an important role in the lifestyles of many people in Southeast Asia - and in ways you might have never imagined. Elephants as part of a fire crew? Check.

From the Source:

"Officials in Indonesia are using trained elephants outfitted with water pumps and hoses to help control fires that have claimed vast amounts of forest while sending thick haze into neighboring countries.

For nearly three months, Riau province in East Sumatra has been blanketed by smoke from forest fires and land clearing, especially in peat-rich areas where flames are difficult to contain.

At the elephant conservation center in Siak district, 23 trained elephants are being used as 'forest watchdogs.'"

MFD: Kihei Fire Intentionally Set

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"Kihei fire, Oct. 20, 2015. Photo credit: Julia Toro."

Arson is a serious crime (first degree arson is a class A felony). If you have any information on any suspicious activity in the area near the Tuesday fire, please report to 911. 

From the Source:

"Maui fire officials say an afternoon brush fire on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in Kīhei was intentionally set.

The incident was reported at 2:24 p.m. near Kaiwahine Street in South Maui.

Firefighters from Kīhei arrived on scene at 2:35 p.m. to find about an acre of dry brush burning at the end of Kaiwahine Street, next to Hale Piʻilani Park...

A total of 2 acres was burned, and the fire came within 100 feet of the nearest homes."

Fending Off a Fire: Workshop Offers Hands-On Fire Extinguisher Training

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"Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Farias left indicates where to aim the spray to Mary and Dale Watson at a fire extinguisher workshop Saturday at the Waikoloa Stables. Laura Shimabuku/West Hawaii Today"

Mahalo West Hawaii Today for including the recent training we helped put together with Waikoloa CERT with additional help from Hawaii Fire Department!

From the Source:

"October is Fire Prevention Month which has been recognized since 1871, the year of the Great Chicago Fire that claimed the lives of more than 250 people, leaving 100,000 homeless and destroying over 17,400 structures. Part of the month-long commemoration, The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) sponsored a fire extinguisher workshop Saturday at the Waikoloa Stables.

The free workshop not only explained the components of this commonplace item, it also allowed students to have hands-on training in its correct use. Under the supervision of Hawaii County Fire Department personnel, each attendee was given the opportunity to PASS - pull the pin, aim, squeeze and sweep. Classifications of various extinguishers was also explained and which ones are best for home use in different scenarios."

Honolulu Firefighters Kick Off Prevention Week with Family Fun Event

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Credit: KHON2

Great job by Honolulu FIre Department and Federal Fire Department of getting this year's Fire Prevention Week message out to the public.

From the Source:

"HFD hosted a full day of fire safety activities and games, as well as prizes and interactive displays.

Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog also made appearance.

'Our biggest thing is to test your smoke detectors once a month and also to create a family fire evacuation plan, so that’s what we’re stressing today,' said Federal Fire inspector Angela Sanders."

Conditions Ripe for Explosive Wildfire Season in Southern California

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"Jim Kilgore of San Bernardino runs from a ball of flame. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)"

All it takes is one spark. The phrase has gained more and more meaning each year across the globe. From Hawaii to Southern California, a combination of droughts and winds and abnormal weather spurred by El Niño may have a dramatic effect on fire behavior this fall/winter. 

Here's a great article about the enormous effect the Santa Ana winds have on dangerous fire behavior in Southern California (and how it will most likely be worse this year.)

From the Source:

"'That's the scary part of the Santa Anas. They blow from the source into where people live. That wasn't necessarily true 50 years ago. But people more and more are living in what I call 'Santa Ana corridors,' ' said William Patzert, climatologist for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge.

While non-Santa Ana fires tend to burn in more remote areas, such as national forests and rugged wild lands, Santa Ana fires descend on more populated areas including along the coast, where higher property values and more residents are at stake, said Yufang Jin, assistant professor at UC Davis' Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and lead author of the study...

Fires in Southern California will only get more intense with climate change, according to the UC study. The study projects that by mid-century, as the region gets hotter and drier, non-Santa Ana fires will increase 77%, and Santa Ana fires by 64%...

Santa Anas also tend to generate more 'firebrands,' or small burning embers that get cast into the air and spark more blazes ahead of the fire, Sapsis said. They tend to start fires that burn nearby homes...

'With these extreme conditions, it literally does just take a spark,' she said. 'If we could take that out of the equation, we're going to be in a much better position.'"

Dealing with Wildfires in North Hawaii

HWMO, along with its fire agency partners, are highlighted in this week's edition of North Hawaii News! Get the inside scoop on what it took to fight the challenging Kawaihae Fire last month from those who were on the front lines. You'll also find some of the work HWMO is doing to keep wildfire occurrences and destructive effects to a minimum. 

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Aftermath of Kawaihae fire that burned from makai to mauka. (Pablo Beimler/HWMO)

From the Source:

"With fewer per capita emergency resources than higher populated areas like Honolulu, HFD has to make strategic use of available resources to cover large geographic areas on challenging terrain. Communication, coordination among units, planning, training, equipment and following well-established priorites are crucial, according to Captain Sommers."

"Pablo Beimler, education and outreach coordinator for Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), has created a compelling video vividly depicting the Kawaihae wildfire’s cumulative damage to coastal areas. It can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kNo7Ucv28Y.

With this month’s fire coming close to the ocean, HWMO’s Executive Director Elizabeth Pickett says, “'Most residents do not readily connect wildfire to coastal impacts because there is frequently a lag time and often geographic distance between fires and storm events.'"

Sequoias and Historic Stump in Path of California Wildfire

"Sequoia trees in Grant Grove are charred in Kings Canyon National Park, California, on September 12, 2015." Credit: National Geographic

Thick, fire-resistant bark and a massive canopy can protect trees from wildfires, most notably: giant sequoias. Native trees like koa can also use their canopies to their advantage by shading out fire-loving undergrowth, reducing the amount of fuel for a fire. Unfortunately, most native plants in Hawaii do not regenerate well after a wildfire, unlike sequoias. Our fire ecosystems in Hawaii can differ vastly from the mainland, but some things hold true for all.

From the Source:

"'They are a fire-dependent species that are well adapted to survive burns,' says Nichols. 'In fact, fire helps them get the next generation of sequoias started.' That’s because fire encourages the trees to drop their cones en masse. The blaze knocks out competition from other plants and provides a great shot of fertilizer in the form of ash. (Learn more about sequoias and fire.)'

Sequoias have fibrous, fire-resistant bark that can grow up to two-feet thick, insulating them from damage, says Stephen C. Sillett, a Humboldt State University ecologist who has received grants from the National Geographic Society to study the giants in Sequoia National Park. The trees’ massive size and canopy also help cut down on undergrowth around them, which reduces fuel for fires."

Rain Poses Unique Challenges for Ranchers

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Credit: K. Kendall/Flickr

El Niño is having a particular impact on ranchers that may in turn impact fire behavior. Too much 'off and on' rainfall is creating grass that cattle have trouble digesting. A long period of drought during the winter won't help either. 

From the Source:

"Rain may be good for farmers, but the sporadic 'off and on' downpours Maui has seen in the last two months have some ranchers on edge.  Kaupo Ranch Manager Billy Ferreira said his cattle need to adjust to eating the green, moist grass.  In the short term, the high moisture content of the 'washy feed' could upset the stomachs of cattle.

What concerns him most is that the heavy rains now means a drier winter later.  Meteorologists say rain during the normally dry summer is likely the result of the El Nino effect that typically causes wetter-than-normal summers and drier winters. Ranchers like Ferreira worry a very dry winter could last until spring."

Farmers Guild Community Raises Over $18K for Wildfire Victims

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Photo Credit: Farmers Guild

Very encouraging and inspiring article about the power of community and overcoming devastation through generosity and compassion (with delicious food sharing on top of that!)

From the Source:

But a potluck can be powerful. Whether it's the Grange or the Farmers Guild, a neighborhood group or a house of faith, cultivating the space for communion bears many fruit. Most of the time that fruit is hard to see, harder still to measure—relationships, inspiration, invisible threads spun throughout a community. On rare occasions, however, that impact is obvious. Even measurable. Like on Thursday evening. Three days to plan. Eighteen thousand dollars. Forty-three auction items. One Grange hall. Four hundred people. 

For those in Lake County who've lost homes, crops, cars, livestock, businesses, photo albums, and even family members, we know that eighteen thousand dollars will make only a dent. And some things are irreplaceable. But we also know that ours is only one community of many. And so to all those who gathered with us on Thursday and all those who are, in their own communities, mobilizing to help those in need—and more importantly, to those who cultivate community even when giant billows of smoke don't waft overhead—I thank you.

After Years of Drought, Wildfires Rage in California

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Screen capture from New York Times.

This interactive news piece (graphs, maps, photos, and gifs) offers some eye-popping insight into the impacts of drought on wildfire frequency and severity. 

From the Source:

"He described how fire – in such arid conditions – climbed quickly up mountain ridges and spread vertically, going from the grasses at ground level to smaller branches that act as ladders to the bodies of dry trees.

Dead trees were, in part, what allowed the fire to keep going. And they can be found all over California...

A study from the University of California, Merced, has shown that fire seasons in the West, including California, are, on average, 86 days longer than they were in the 1970s.

'Southern California has a 12-month fire season now,' said Scott L. Stephens, a professor of fire science at the University of California, Berkeley. 'You can have a fire there at any time.'”