Three More Fires Reported In West Hawaii - Police Increase Patrols

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Report any suspicious activity relating to recent fires by calling 935-3311. Credit - Hawaii DLNR/special to West Hawaii Today

If you have any information that may help with the investigation of this unfortunate string of events, please do not hesitate to contact the Hawaii Police Department at 935-3311. Every little bit of evidence helps. Mahalo for your kokua.

From the Source:

"Two of the small fires were located in the North Kona District and the third burned in South Kohala, according to Kona Fire Prevention Bureau Capt. Kazuo Todd, who oversees two fire investigators in Kona. That brings the total number of fires that have ignited in the two districts to eight over an eight-day period between Feb. 11 and Thursday. That number includes two fires that combined with others into three fires on the day the string of fires began."

"'We just want the person involved to know that the community is working together, keeping their eyes open and we just ask you to behave yourself,' he said. 'If not, eventually, you will get caught and be held accountable.'

Though the department is always ready to respond to any additional reports, doing so is putting some strain on services in the area, the chief said.

'What that does is take away resources from responding to other calls,' he said. 'We always respond to every call that comes in, but when units are out of their district fighting a brush fire that was intentionally set, it does delay our response to other calls.'

All told, the fires have charred approximately 1,146 acres of mostly brush; however, state officials have said some native trees were lost. The fires have started primarily in the vicinity of Highway 190 between Kailua-Kona and Waimea."

Parched: Driest January on Record for Parts of West Hawaii

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"Charred earth from the recent fire near Palamanui is seen along side of dry grass from the persisting drought in North Kona. (Laura Shimabuku/West Hawaii Today)"

What is on pace for the 2nd strongest El Nino on record is not good news for those worried about wildfire. The key take away is that even if your area is considered "wet side", when there is no rain, the rainforest can burn. 

Here's a news piece with quotes from our Executive Director, Elizabeth Pickett, and a long-time partner of ours, Jen Lawson, who directs the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative.

From the Source:

"The Pacific is experiencing what will likely pan out to be the second strongest El Nino on record, behind only 1997-98. True to pattern, a snuffing out of the normal trade wind pattern and its accompanying showers are following the El Nino. If the past is any indication and long-term predictions hold up, there may be no relief in sight through April."

"West Hawaii had a very wet summer, leading to high loads of vegetation which have now dried out, causing concern for fire management officials. In Waikoloa, expanses of invasive buffelgrass and fountain grass have become parched, said Jen Lawson, who directs the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative.

'We’ve had no precipitation at the forest in more than 12 weeks,' she said. 'Wildfire is what we are thinking most about now.”

Kodama said light winds have helped spare dry areas from fast-spreading fires. But that could change as winds pick up going into spring and conditions continue to dry out, he said.

Elizabeth Pickett, executive director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, said her group will be stepping up its fire safety outreach in the face of the drought.

'We have a pretty high hazard out there; now is time to be proactive and really be aware of the fire issue,' Pickett said. 'We’re getting very concerned.'"

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.”

Summer in Waikoloa Increases Potential for Wildfires - Waikoloa Breeze Sep. 2015

This month's Waikoloa Breeze featured a number of wildfire-related articles, including an HWMO blurb about summers in Waikoloa and the importance of preparing early for wildfires. 

Also included:

• Parker Ranch Land Brush Fire
• Wiliwili Festival (events that include an HWMO workshop on how to use native plants to protect your home)
• Message from the General Manager: project approval for adding mulch to vacant lot fuelbreaks

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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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Initial 2015 BioBlitz Results

We had the opportunity to be a part of this incredible event, as one of the outreach booths at the Cultural Festival. Find out more about what we did at the event.

From the Source:

"Student inventory. Photo credit: Chris Johns/National Geographic."

"Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park held the ninth of 10 annual BioBlitz events over the weekend. The events are hosted by National Geographic and the National Park Service and have spanned the entire country over the past decade. According to HVNP officials, the events are leading up the NPS’s centennial in 2016.

The 2015 event, which was a combined BioBlitz and Biodiversity & Cultural Festival, hosted more than 6,000 people including more than 850 school-aged children. During the event, more than 170 scientists and traditional Hawaiian practitioners came together to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the plants, insects, mammals, birds, and other species that inhabit HVNP. Officials say the program gathers a 'vivid snapshot of the unique plant and animal biodiversity in the park.'"

"'The BioBlitz and Biodiversity & Cultural Festival presented an incredible opportunity to connect the community with leading scientists, international sister parks, and cultural practitioners this weekend,' said park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. 'This even embodies our National Park Service centennial mission to encourage everyone to Find Your Park – literally – by exploring and understanding our vital connection to our natural world.'

Lecture Will Focus on Wildfires

Check out tomorrow's lecture from a collaborator of ours: Dr. Clay Trauernicht, wildfire extension specialist with University of Hawaii, Cooperative Extension and co-coordinator of Pacific Fire Exchange.

From the Source: 

"National Tropical Botanical Garden and Kauai Community College present the second autumn lecture in the collaborative series “Plants for our Planet” 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 21 at Kauai Community College cafeteria

Dr. Clay Trauernicht, a specialist in fire management with the cooperative extension program in the college of tropical agriculture and human resources at the University of Hawaii, will talk about the role of fire in environmental management."

Helping Mother Nature Fight Fires Native Plant Landscapes and Other Fire Resistant Measures Demonstrated

We made it onto the front page of West Hawaii Today (Sunday edition) - great article recapping the Wildfire Preparedness Day event we held at the Waikoloa Dryland Wildfire Safety Park. The article also covers some of the wildfire issues communities in Hawaii face and some of the steps people can take to protect their homes and families. 

From the Source: 

'Waikoloa Village resident Melissa Newberg vividly remembers the Lalamilo fire of 2005.

Eight months pregnant, she and her family scrambled to pack up photo albums and important papers. As a fire that would ultimately consume 25,000 acres burned fiercely outside the village and helicopters buzzed overhead, the Newbergs evacuated to a friend’s house in Kailua-Kona.

“People were driving on the wrong side of the road. It was pretty chaotic,” she said. “We didn’t know if we would have a house the next day.”

The Newberg home was spared — albeit with a thick layer of ash left on the lanai.

Nine years later, Newberg and her 3-year-old son, Xavier, sat in the Waikoloa Dryland Wildfire Safety Park. While her daughters, Kamila and Alena, placed native plants in the cinder soil nearby, Newberg cleaned up dead leaves.

It is the type of activity the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization is encouraging everyone to do as the island heads into summer. It is also a cue the western mainland states would do well to follow, as drought and high fuel loads spark wildfire fears on the national level.

The Melia Street wildfire safety park was part of a larger demonstration by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization that landscaping with native plants can reduce fire risks around the home. It was a centerpiece of a wildfire awareness event Saturday that also featured informational booths, art projects, presentations and tours of fire engines and emergency vehicles.

Piper Heath, 11, and Sai Cordeiro, 12, were part of a group of youngsters planting seedlings at the park Saturday. They are both members of Waikoloa Future Foresters, a group created three years ago by the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative to bring area children in contact with reforestation, fire prevention and other aspects of conservation. Part of their task is to understand the park, help take care of its plants and give tours to the public.

Heath and Cordeiro happened to be planting Cordeiro’s favorite plant, the ihi, a native succulent.

“It’s like a cactus. It holds water,” he explained. “The more water it gets, the more it holds. I like the shape of the leaves and the yellow flowers it gives.”

The park, with plantings of ilima papa, wiliwili and a ground cover called pohinahina, is meant to demonstrate that fire-resistant native plants can be low maintenance, said Pablo Beimler, education and outreach coordinator for Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization.

“These plants are already adapted to the ecosystem and the minerals in the soil,” Beimler said.

They represent a less colorful but wiser choice from a fire safety perspective than the flamboyant bougainvillea, which tends to leave a lot of flammable debris. Beimler said that picking up woody debris from the yard is one of the best ways residents can help prevent fires.

“Where the wind collects all the debris is also where the wind will take the embers,” he said. “That’s scary and it’s not a connection people always make.”

Residents should also put fine screens over their vents — especially at the foundation level — as a key step to keep burning embers from blowing in, Beimler said. Other measures include keeping a “defensible space,” of area cleared of dead vegetation in a 30-foot perimeter around the home — plus making sure grass, trees and other vegetation are trimmed.

A general awareness of the conditions on the surrounding landscape, and a family action plan in time of fire are also important, Beimler said.

“Fire is a mauka to makai issue,” he said. “It affects everything.”

The problem of fire isn’t limited just to ruined forests and homes, said Elizabeth Pickett, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization’s executive director. Erosion from the exposed land washes downhill and can smother reefs, bringing environmental consequences into the ocean.

“We’re still dealing with the dust and sediment issues from the 2005 and 2007 fires,” she said.'

"Tom Loomis, with the Hawaii Wildlife Management Organization, helps Alena Newberg, 7, as they plant native plants at the Waikoloa Dryland Wildfire Safety Park." Credit - West Hawaii Today

"Firefighter Chuck Segawa gives 12-year-old Micah Canionero a tour of a fire truck during the day of fire preparedness at Waikoloa Dryland Wildfire Safety Park on Saturday." Credit - West Hawaii Today

"Firefighter Paul Higgins gives keiki a tour of a fire truck during the day of fire preparedness at Waikoloa Dryland Safety Park on Saturday." Credit - West Hawaii Today

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is Saturday in Waikoloa

From the Source: 

"Big Islanders are invited to activities Saturday in Waikoloa in observance of the first Wildfire Community Preparedness Day focused on reducing the risk of wildfire damage in Hawaii by encouraging community volunteers, neighborhoods and individual homeowners to join forces in creating safer places to live. 

State Farm, the National Fire Protection Association and Fire Adapted Communities are cosponsoring the event.

From 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., there will be volunteer gardening and wildfire workshops, field tours and lots of info and tips, plus Smokey the Bear, at the Dryland Safety Park in Waikoloa Village, said coordinator Pablo Beimler, of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.

For more information, visit www.hawaiiwildfire.org, email Beimler at pablo@hawaiiwildfire.org, or call 885-0900.

On Wildfire Preparedness Day, communities across the nation are rallying to host a variety of events to help raise wildfire awareness, promote collaboration and bring neighbors together to work on projects that protect homes, neighborhoods and entire communities.

'We at HWMO are organizing a Fire Awareness, Prevention &Work Day event at the Waikoloa Dryland Safety Park in Waikoloa Village,' said Beimler. 'We will be holding a volunteer work session in the morning followed by a series of wildfire preparedness workshops, field tours and activities. All ages are welcome, and the event is free.'

At HWMO headquarters in Waimea, volunteers recently received 10,000 copies of the first-ever Hawaii version of the 'Ready, Set, Go! Wildland Fire Action Guide.'"

"Fire fighters work to control a brush fire near mile marker 50 on Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 11) in Kau Tuesday afternoon." Credit: Hollyn Johnson/Tribune-Herald 

Proposal Would Put Fire-Control Dip Tanks in Waikoloa Area

The HWMO media frenzy continues as our FEMA funding proposal for dip tank installation and fuels management projects  throughout the west side of Hawaii Island makes the West Hawaii Today!

(A note to the editor: Elizabeth Tickett should be Elizabeth Pickett.)

From the Source: 

"The Waikoloa area is a step closer to having a new series of dip tanks to help helicopters battle wildfires.

As many as five tanks would support aerial firefighting in areas that have long been recognized as particularly prone to wildland blazes, according to a recent draft environmental assessment. The project has been in the works for the greater part of a decade.

High winds and dry brush and grass make quick helicopter response vital to keep fires from spreading out of control, said Elizabeth Tickett, executive director for the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, based in Waimea. The group has applied for federal funding for the tanks and a program to clear flammable brush and grass around Waikoloa Village and Puako.

“Fire suppression is extremely difficult because a lot of things aren’t totally in place,” Tickett said. “We’re limited in water resources. And with such high winds, fires get really big fast.”

But the amount of money available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency — plus the actual number of the 12-foot diameter tanks that might be installed and when — is not yet clear. Once the organization knows how much federal funding it will receive, the nonprofit can work out how much more it needs to raise locally, Tickett said. The tanks cost around $18,000 each, according to bids from two years ago.

The 6,700-gallon tanks would hold water for firefighting and for livestock to be brought into new areas to graze down vegetation. The water would also be used to help fire-resistant native vegetation take root.

Dip tanks are being proposed for Waikoloa Village, Kuainiho, the 1859 lava flow, Ponoholo and Lalamilo. Ongoing maintenance will fall to a variety of local partners.

The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization — made up of numerous individuals involved in fire suppression on the local and state level — has worked closely with the Hawaii County Fire Department to determine the best sites for the tanks, Tickett said.

Fire Chief Darren Rosario said the dip tanks provide a safer and more abundant source of water for helicopters than the agency’s “frog ponds,” which are 1,000-gallon portable containers that are set up near roadways and replenished with tankers.

“Dip tanks, strategically located, provide the greatest opportunity for us if a fire starts in an area that is inaccessible or located on an unimproved road,” Rosario said. “It takes a great deal of time to deploy our ground troops. The tanks allow our aircraft to get water on a fire on a much shorter turnaround.”

FEMA has indicated it will provide funds at the level of the original application, which dates back to 2006 — provided the EA process is followed through to completion. It’s not clear how much construction that would buy in today’s dollars.

The Waikoloa Village tank would be located in a 275-acre preserve managed by the Waikoloa Dryland Forest Initiative. Jen Lawson, initiative executive director, called the tank a win-win for fire suppression and for the 35 native species her group propagates.

“We’re trying to replace the nonnative grassland, which is the worst fire danger you can have out there,” said Lawson, who has focused on planting wiliwili and uhiuhi trees.

The Kuainiho tank would be placed on land the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife is currently managing for fire control along Highway 190. The tank at the 1859 lava flow would be located in the state Puuanahulu Game Management Area.

The Ponoholo tank is proposed for an area of privately owned ranch land to the northwest of the Kohala Ranch housing development. The Lalamilo tank would be located on state land being leased for ranching southwest of Waimea. Both locations had archaeological sites identified in the EA. Ponoholo and Lalamilo are not included in an alternative plan for the overall project because they would require the presence of an archaeologist during the installation process — a significant cost increase. No historical sites would be affected at the other locations, the EA found.

The Waikoloa fuel break would clear an area 0.5 miles long and 30 feet wide on the southern end of Waikoloa Village, on land owned by the village association, tying into an existing break near Pua Melia Street. Haole koa and fountain grass pose fire threats in the area.

In Puako, the clearing of brush, grading and mulching would take place in an area 2 miles long and 100 feet wide along the mauka side of Puako Beach Road, where dense, highly flammable kiawe forests and buffelgrass pose fire threats on state land.

West Hawaii has some of the most fire prone sites in the state. Native dryland forest sites — historically one of the most diverse ecosystems in the state — are imperiled, and only about 10 percent of original habitat still exists, according to the EA. Unlike some mainland ecosystems, Hawaii’s plants are not adapted to periodic fire, and invasive species have created large fuel loads that can easily ignite.

The EA is available at fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/93430."

A Hawaii County helicopter performs a water drop. (Chelsea Jensen/West Hawaii Today)

Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization and Pacific Fire Exchange

Thank you to North Hawaii News for profiling Hawaii Wildfire's efforts along with Pacific Fire Exchange's!

From the Source:

"HWMO’s mission is to work with communities to be more fire wise and to reduce the risk of wildfires. Headquartered in Waimea, the organization’s outreach includes educational activities, fuels management projects — to reduce anything that will fuel a fire — restoration of native plants, research and even assisting in the development of K-8 curriculum on fire knowledge.

About 40 people attended HWMO’s annual meeting at the Pohakuloa Training Area last week to network and receive updates on the organization’s projects. Among those participating were representatives from the University of Hawaii Fire Management, Parker Ranch Fire Protection, Hawaii State Fish and Wildlife, Hawaii Island Native Seed Bank, and Rep. Cindy Evans, D-North Kona, Kohala."

Above: Participants from various wildfire organizations gather at Mauna Kea State Park on July 20 to discuss events of the 2010 fire that burned 25,000 acres. (PHOTO BY CYNTHIA SWEENEY| SPECIAL TO NHN)

State to Install Diptanks on Mauna Kea

We made the front page of West Hawaii Today, yet again! This time, we were mentioned for the hard work we have put towards installing dip tanks between Puuanahulu and Waikoloa. We were also accredited for helping demonstrate the high-frequency of wildfires in non-bare lava surface between Waimea and Puuwaawaa through our fire history mapping project. By showing the high-frequency of wildfires in these areas, we have helped attract funding for diptanks and other resources to assist fire fighters in the event of a wildfire. 

From the Source:

"In addition to the state’s planned fire diptanks, the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, with federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is finalizing environmental compliance needed to build tanks between Puuanahulu and Waikoloa, according to the assessment."


"According to the draft, maps of wildfires between 1954 and 2005 compiled by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization show that most of the nonbare lava surface between Waimea and Puuwaawaa has burned, much of it multiple times."

Above: "A Hawaii County helicopter drops water on a fire Oct. 5 in Kailua-Kona. The state is moving forward with plans to construct two water tanks that will feed diptanks for helicopters to use while fighting fires on the southwestern slopes of Mauna Kea. (Chelsea Jensen/West Hawaii Today FILE PHOTO)"

Waikoloa Park Used to Demonstrate Fire Mitigation Techniques

HWMO made the front page news of West Hawaii Today! Shortly after the garden's opening West Hawaii Today published a quality article on the ceremonial event and the purpose of the garden.

From the Source:

"the garden holds many secrets to mitigating the hazards of a real brush fire"

and

"For fourth-grade Waikoloa School students Miko Domingo, Shamar Sarme and River Goldberg, having everyone realize just how much of an impact wildfires have had on the island and will continue to have in the future is important. The trio hopes that residents from around the island, not just those in South Kohala, will visit the park and take home some ideas to protect their own homes and communities."

Above: Photo courtesy of West Hawaii Today

VIDEO: Saddle Road Open, Mauna Kea Wildfire Burns

From the Source:

“The wildfire at the U.S. Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area has now consumed an estimated 1,350 acres and remains at 55% contained, according to a Wednesday afternoon message issued by the Hawaii County Civil Defense.
Saddle Road re-opened to the public after 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, with detours at mile marker 29 directing traffic to the old Saddle Road and re-routing back to the new Saddle Road at mile marker 34.5 near Mauna Kea State Park. Mauna Kea State Park was closed to public access, as the fire continued to spread on the slopes of the mountain."

VIDEO: Controlled Burn in Volcanoes National Park

From the Source:

“A 14-person fire crew burned a 103-acre kipuka at Kealakomowaena, located near the end of Chain of Craters Road at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday.
 

Park officials say the prescribed burn is intended to spark the growth of native grass, and will reveal a cultural landscape once occupied by families living in the ahupua’a of Kealakomo.
 

Pili grass once dominated Hawaii’s coastal areas, but is becoming increasingly rare thanks to invasive species."