LIHU‘E — With forecasts predicting drought conditions to begin in late June, officials are warning the public about an increased risk of wildfires.
“The KFD Fire Prevention Bureau has been working with other agencies and partners across Kaua‘i and the state to prepare for higher-than-average wildfire activity,” said Deputy Fire Chief Michael Gibson. “Weather forecasting from NOAA suggests drought conditions starting in late June. This means we could have an early and long brush-fire season.”
Fires are not only more likely to occur in drought conditions, but they are also harder to fight, according to the Kaua‘i Fire Department.
“Although our fire hydrants are connected to drinking-water supplies, brush fires often happen in remote areas where hydrants are unavailable,” said KFD Fire Prevention Capt. Jeremie Makepa. “In these situations we use nearby ocean water, reservoirs and ditch water to supply our helicopter and apparatus with water supply.”
This makes fighting fires in remote places like Koke‘e more difficult.
Drought conditions are a statewide concern, with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources recently discussing the problem.
“As people know, we’re heading into the much-dryer, hotter summer months, so there’s no reason to expect any relief from the drought. We do expect the percentage of land in the extreme-to-exceptional-drought categories to grow,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Derek Wroe.
On other islands, officials have voiced concerns about the connection between more fires and access to drinking water. Since water from municipal fire hydrants is potable, the more firefighters need, the less drinking water will be available, which could lead to non-voluntary water restrictions.
Kaua‘i has avoided the worst of the dry conditions, according to DLNR, as the only island to be drought-free currently.
Though largely unrelated to the drought conditions, the island has been hit with a recent rash of fires.
It started with a fire in the Wailua Homesteads, in a structure near the Kaua‘i Hindu Monastery (not in the monastery itself, as was initially reported) that caused $340,000 in damages.
Then, an ‘Ele‘ele brush fire claimed 25 acres of land, requiring a response from the KFD helicopter, Air 1.
Last Monday two fires in Princeville and Wailua left two firefighters with minor facial injuries.
•••
Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
The last big fire in Poipu June 2019- was so scary- who tells Koloa Village and Kukuiuka Shopping center to stop their torch burning decorations!!!