Hawaiʻi County Fire Department

The County of Hawaiʻi has reached an agreement for COVID-19 hazard pay with the Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association and Hawaiʻi Fire Fighters Association. Hazard pay negotiations had been a contentious issue.

The third and final phase of the attorney general’s report on the 2023 Lahaina wildfire outlines top priorities for state and county lawmakers to better prepare and respond to wildfires. HPR’s Ashley Mizuo explores one of the most important aspects of the report — the hiring of a state fire marshal.

The job for the state’s first-ever fire marshal should be posted within the next month, but the State Fire Council is considering recruiting options to speed up the hiring process. HPR's Ashley Mizuo explains.

Big Island lawmakers 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.

The search continues for a missing Big Island fisherman who went overboard from a boat after hooking a tuna over the weekend.

The Hawaiʻi Fire Department will be issuing firework permits to Big Island residents until 8 p.m. on July 4.

A federal aviation accident investigator will be sent to Hawaiʻi to investigate after a tour helicopter crashed on a remote lava field, injuring all six people on board. Officials say the Bell 407 helicopter crashed on a rough lava field near the Big Island’s southernmost tip.

Hawaiʻi is just one week into summer, but drought conditions across the state could be setting us up for a long, hot summer of wildfires. Elizabeth Pickett from the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization says residents need to get serious about fire prevention as the drought continues.

On Monday evening, officials said the fire was stable, but not yet contained by firefighters. Crews remained on scene in the Waikiʻi area and continued battling the blaze through the evening.

Firefighters have gotten more control over a Hawaiʻi wildfire that forced thousands of people to evacuate over the weekend and destroyed at least two homes on Hawaiʻi Island.