© 2025 Hawaiʻi Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Leilani fire on Hawaiʻi Island is about 80% contained

FILE - The Leilani Fire on Hawaiʻi Island in August 2022.
Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources
FILE - The Leilani Fire on Hawaiʻi Island in August 2022.

The large wildfire burning on Hawaiʻi Island was about 80% contained on Tuesday. Dubbed the Leilani fire, it has already burned tens of thousands of acres in and around the U.S. military’s Pohakuloa Training Area on the leeward side of the island. It’s burning in the same region as last year’s record-setting wildfire that burned 70 square miles, destroyed several homes, and threatened thousands more.

The Conversation talked with Steve Bergfeld, the Hawaiʻi Island Branch Manager of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife under the Department of Land and Natural Resources, to get an update on the blaze.

On Oʻahu, the DLNR held two virtual meetings on Tuesday for people living in East Honolulu to discuss wildfire concerns and begin the development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

This interview aired on The Conversation on Aug. 16, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.

Born in Honolulu and raised on Hawaiʻi Island, Russell Subiono has spent the last decade working in local film, television and radio. He was previously the executive producer of The Conversation and host of HPR's This Is Our Hawaiʻi podcast. Contact him at rsubiono@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Related Stories