In a special series on fire vulnerability, HPR reporters Ashley Mizuo and Savannah Harriman-Pote examine how various Hawaiʻi communities identify shortcomings and find solutions to their wildfire risks. This is part three:
There is only one winding road that connects Oʻahu’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood to the rest of Pearl City.
“Pacific Palisades is one of those communities in Hawaiʻi that only has one way in, one way out,” said House Rep. Gregg Takayama.
“But what makes it unusual is that it actually has been closed off from the rest of the island several times.”
Takayama recounted hostage situations that took place in 2019 and 1998. He also recalled fallen trees that have blocked access to Komo Mai Drive — the only road to Pacific Palisades.
The neighborhood is nestled in Waimano Valley in Central Oʻahu. According to the federal Wildfire Risk to Communities map, it is classified as a “more likely” area to experience wildfires.
Takayama and state Sen. Brandon Elefante are working with the Department of Transportation and Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management to come up with solutions.
Elefante explained that Maui wildfires last year made the issue a higher priority.
“The tricky and challenging part is going up a hill, finding the right of way, finding property and land,” Elefante said.
“We're going through the initial phases now and working with these departments to see whether it's something that could be a gravel road, asphalt or something where it provides another secondary access in the event of an emergency for those living up in Palisades," he said.
Lacking 'basic essentials'
Another major issue is that the area’s emergency siren has been broken for years.
Charmaine Doran, a member of the Pearl City neighborhood board, has not only been advocating for an emergency road but also a new siren from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.
“You have to provide the basic essentials. And right now, not just our kids, not just our community, but other communities are being let down,” she said.
“If the response is, 'You go figure out how to do that,' that is a disaster waiting to happen.”
What concerned Doran the most, is that the broken siren was located right next to Palisades Elementary School.
“Our board, myself and members of the community have been pushing for, if nothing else, to make sure that if the one in a million happens, these kids can get out safe,” she said.
“A lot of parents work outside of this area... and they rely on our surrounding community and our officials to make sure these kids are safe.”
The next closest siren to the area is near Pearl City High School, over 3 miles away.
Hi-EMA recently secured a contract to install a new siren, but construction won’t start until next spring.
Fixing emergency sirens
The state has a total of three technicians to service over 400 sirens.
Across Hawaiʻi, there are 24 emergency sirens listed as “beyond repair.” Additionally, 34 other sirens require repairs from outside contractors, due to the complex skill and scope of the work.
In an email, a Hi-EMA spokesperson said that money is an issue and encouraged communities to speak with lawmakers to advocate for the funding of new sirens in their areas.
The cost of a new siren is roughly $185,000.
Pacific Palisades will get a new siren because Takayama and Elefante were able to get a resolution passed this year.
Honolulu Department of Emergency Management Director Hiro Toiya said due to the area having limited access, preparation is crucial.
“It really requires that we're more responsive as an emergency management agency and as an emergency management system to identify hazards and alert and warn the community, but for the community to receive those alerts and warnings and to be able to act quickly,” Toiya said.
“Some areas where we're just not going to be able to create alternate ingress-egress routes, and that means we have to put our efforts elsewhere in terms of preparedness and mitigation actions," he continued.
Doran also wanted to know where the firebreaks were located in Waimano Valley, to stop flames from spreading to homes during a wildfire.
However, the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources said there are no deliberate firebreaks in the valley. DLNR added that hiking trails and roads could act as firebreaks and were sufficient to stop a fire that burned in the area decades ago.
How are residents in the Waikōloa community on Hawaiʻi Island coming together to build more emergency access roads in their neighborhood? Read part four of HPR's series on fire vulnerability:
