Hawaii should be prepared for higher wildfire risks as the islands enter hotter months following the second driest wet season in the last 30 years.
Genki Kino, a National Weather Service forecaster, said, “This year‘s wet season, we did not see much rain, with most of the state receiving below average rainfall. Drought conditions have already developed across all of Maui County and the Big Island where vegetation has dried out, (turned) brown, and become more receptive to wildfire ignition.”
Kino, who was speaking at a June 18 news conference to mark the 10th Wildfire & Drought LOOKOUT! awareness campaign, added that Oahu and Kauai received more rainfall in April so conditions are “a little bit better.”
But Kino warned that risks remain because “most leeward areas are abnormally dry.”
So everyone needs to pay attention to fire safety recommendations, said Jaimie Song, a Honolulu Fire Department captain.
Song said that even her Niu Valley neighborhood can dry out, which surprised her when she moved there.
“My backyard is the mountain, but it gets dry,” she told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “When I see it drying out, I am more mindful of my yard space and having a buffer, because if that mountain were to ever catch fire and move toward my house, I’d be very concerned.”
Creating a buffer around homes does not have to be expensive or complicated, Song said.
“There’s really simple, non-time-consuming chores that you can do around your house to create more of what we call defensible space to protect your home, your block and your community,” she said. “It’s really just trying to eliminate things that could catch on fire and spread to your home.”
Clearing debris from gutters, mowing lawns, cutting back bushes and removing junk all minimize risk, Song said.
Song also has planted native plants to increase her home’s “defensible space.”
“A lot of these native plants don’t need a lot of water, they’re drought resistant and they’re not going to have as much fallout,” she said. “Non-native plants often drop hazardous debris and can become fire-prone in dry conditions.”
The risks that come with overgrown, dead plants gained more awareness after dry, roadside grass and foliage turned into deadly fuel during the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires that killed 102 people, destroyed homes, historic structures and caused at least an estimated $13 billion in damage.
Song recommends that residents read the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization’s Ready Set Go Action Guide — available at fire.honolulu.gov— to access a list of tips.
“The last plant I got was pohinahina, which is on the (guide’s) list of native plants,” Song said. “I really want to encourage the community. There’s a few small things we can do to protect ourselves.”
The state Legislature and Gov. Josh Green also continue working on ways to minimize wildfire risks across all islands after the Maui wildfires.
They resurrected the position of state fire marshall to coordinate prevention efforts statewide.
Green also signed Senate Bill 1396 into law as Act 96 in May that represents Hawaii’s first-of-its-kind climate impact law, which assesses a new visitor fee to help Hawaii respond to climate and the risk of future wildfires.
Everyone — even residents — who stay in a Hawaii hotel, cruise ship or other lodging beginning Jan. 1 will pay an extra $3 for every $400 in overnight costs — or an additional $30 for every $4,000 spent to stay in the islands.
Residents along Oahu’s Leeward Coast are familiar with the threat of wildfires, especially during the dry summer months.
Paul Aio, who serves as the Public Health and Safety committee chair for the Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board, has begun working to take additional steps to protect his community.
Aio and other board members attended February’s Hawaii Wildfire Summit in Kona, hosted by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization and the Hawaii County Fire Department, in partnership with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, all of Hawaii’s other county fire departments and the State Airports Rescue & Fire Fighting Division.
“The number one thing is to educate,” Aio told the Star-Advertiser. “Even if you live in a wooden structure, you can still make your house fire-safe.”
Around his property, Aio has made sure that the trees around his house are trimmed to not exceed the height of his roof, “so that if it burns, none of the burning material falls on the house.”
He also helps neighbors do the same.
“The thing we’re trying to do now is organize, ‘how do we get the message and education out to the community?’” Aio said.
He’s met with homeowners associations and left fire safety pamphlets. He also plans to collaborate with churches to reach a larger audience to spread the message of fire safety.
Song also urges communities to work together to create safer neighborhoods because fire can jump from one property to another.
“We’re all in it together,” Song said. “We all have to do our part.”
Source: The Garden Island
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