As drier months loom in Hawaiʻi, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is reminding the public to prepare for the higher risk of wildfires.
This week, the DLNR kicked off its 10th annual "Wildfire and Drought LOOKOUT!" campaign to raise public awareness and preparedness for wildfires in the state, which local leaders are already warning is a concern in the state.
“This is early June, and we just saw a fire start here on Kaua‘i last week, a larger one on Maui just three days ago, and one on O‘ahu at Schofield Barracks. As drought conditions intensify, so too will the fire danger,” DLNR Chair Dawn Chang said in a statement.
Chang said the public can help by conserving water during the drier summer months.
“ We are noticing an unfortunate trend — we just have a lot less water. It is really important that we're all moving towards conservation. Every little drop counts, it's precious and there are ways that we can all help. Don't take showers so long, don't water your grass when it's in the middle of the day. … This is a kākou effort,” she said.
There are areas on all of the main Hawaiian islands that are already experiencing drought, which is impacting nearly 400,000 people across the state, according to local officials.
DLNR said there has been increased wildfire preparedness since the deadly 2023 Maui fires. But even before then, there has been an increased effort to mitigate or prepare for wildfires in the state.
“When I started the job in 2017, (the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife) had a wildfire suppression budget of $600,000. One fire in California would use that amount in a matter of hours. By 2023, the division was able to get about $4 million for fire suppression,” said Mike Walker, state protection forester with DOFAW.
The DLNR also said that since the wildfire and drought campaign began, more communities in the state have joined the national Firewise USA campaign, which helps communities prepare for wildfires.
The department said the number of communities that have participated over the last decade has jumped from 14 to 30.
