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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.
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Helicopters are battling a wildfire in a remote mountainous area of Central Oʻahu as flames burn native koa and ʻōhiʻa trees. No structures or homes were threatened and no evacuations were ordered.
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Helicopters are still battling a wildfire in a remote mountainous area in Central Oʻahu. The Honolulu Fire Department says no structures or homes are threatened and no evacuations have been ordered.
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Homes, roads, schools and bridges were wiped out by Cyclone Lola in parts of Vanuatu last week. It was the earliest Category 5 cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. With the Pacific News Minute, HPR's Derrick Malama reports.
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A first-of-its-kind hurricane shelter could be coming to Windward Oʻahu. A 5-acre plot in Hauʻula is the site of the proposed Koʻolauloa Resilience Community Hub. It would be able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and provide critical resources — including shelter, food, water, medical services and internet — for up to 30 days during a disaster. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.
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Dry conditions, high winds and extreme heat have each played a role in wildfires sweeping parts of Australia this week. HPRʻs Bill Dorman has more in today's Asia Minute.
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The National Weather Service is warning gusty winds and low humidity are increasing the risk that fires could spread rapidly in the western parts of each Hawaiian island. Thursday's warning comes three weeks after a deadly blaze tore through a coastal Maui town during a similar alert.
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You typically expect wind and rain from a hurricane — but should we be ready for more wildfires? Although Hurricane Dora missed the islands by hundreds of miles, experts say that's still close enough for a storm system to pose serious risks of wildfires. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote reports.
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As powerful winds and dry conditions from Hurricane Dora continue to barrel through the state, officials have issued evacuation orders for Maui and Hawaiʻi Island to prepare for unexpected brush fires.
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Two-thirds of the single-family homes on Hawaiʻi's most populous island have no hurricane protections. This year’s return of El Nino is highlighting this weakness because it boosts the odds that more tropical cyclones will travel through Hawaiʻi’s waters.