Hawaiʻi County officials want to beef up the island’s fire department to prevent significant damage from future wildfires.
The Hawaiʻi County Council passed a resolution urging Mayor Mitch Roth to increase the capacity of and funding for the Hawaiʻi Fire Department.
Councilmember Ashley Kierkiewicz introduced the measure.
It comes two months after the deadly wildfires on Maui. Dry and windy conditions at the time also led to wildfires on Hawaiʻi Island in both North and South Kohala.
“We saw the unfortunate loss and devastation on Maui. There have been instances where here, on this island, we have been dangerously close to being like Lāhainā and Kula,” Kierkiewicz said at a council meeting on Tuesday.
The resolution noted an “alarming” increase in the number and intensity of wildfires on the Big Island.
Kierkiewicz added that “fire seasons” have turned into “fire years.”
“There’s no such thing as a fire season anymore. It is a year-round challenge that our firefighters are having to deal with,” she said.
But doing so requires more training and better retention and recruitment within HFD, the resolution said.
