HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaiʻi National Guard is using three helicopters to help Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense fight the Mana Road fire. This fire began on Nov. 7 on the slopes of Mauna Kea.
The Office of the Governor said that emergency crews have made 13 water drops totaling 6,700 gallons and have been using UH-60 and HH-60 Black Hawks and a CH-47 Chinook to do this.
Reports have indicated that the weather had slowed some aerial operations over the weekend, but rain also helped ease the fire.
Gov. Josh Green’s office said the United States Army assisted the response by providing a refueling point at Pōhakuloa Training Area, which cut turnaround time and allowed faster water drops.
Green’s emergency proclamation in July helped speed the Guard’s response. The order created Operation Hoʻopauahi, which keeps a CH-47 Chinook aircrew on standby to assist any county in Hawaiʻi. The mission aims to stop fires before they spread.
“Approximately 330 Hawai‘i National Guard federal technicians, working without pay for the second pay period in a row, are still able to generate response capabilities that assist Hawai‘i’s counties to extinguish dangerous wildfires in the community,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, Hawai‘i adjutant general. “Your Hawaiʻi National Guard is ‘Always Ready, Always There,’ regardless of events in outside our state.”
The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and the Hawaiʻi National Guard remain in contact with Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense and are prepared to send more help if needed.
Operation Hoʻopauahi continues to strengthen local wildfire response across the islands.