BIG ISLAND, Hawaii (KHON2) — August is one of the hottest and driest times of year, and this has been especially true on the Big Island. The Big Island has been seeing high levels of drought recently, which has been a contributing factor to some recent fires.
Late Monday night, a brushfire started on Mana Road, going about 14.7 acres that the Hawai’i Fire Department worked to contain throughout Tuesday.
The majority of the Big Island has been experiencing at least some levels of drought recently, particularly in the area of Mana Road.
A drought is not unusual for this time of year, and the timing of it also coincides with an increase of other potential fire starters.
“This is also the time when we’re generating hurricanes, or large storms that are going to come through that can bring a lot of wind,” said Hawai’i Fire Department Chief Kazuo Todd. “These factors can affect our fires, much like we saw two years ago, almost to the day, on August 8th in Lahaina.”
With ongoing conditions already making fires more prone to happen, the Hawaiʻi Fire Department is advising residents to be on the lookout to avoid adding any additional risk.
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“The slightest spark right now could cause a fire,” said Chief Todd. “With the winds and other factors that can kick in, it may be hard for the local fire department to immediately control it and stop it from expanding drastically.”
Recommendations for limiting risk include having an evacuation plan in the event of a fire, and monitoring the immediate area in your house for any potential fire hazards.
“We normally call this the home ignition zone,” said Chief Todd, on the process recommended to keep your home free of fire starters. “We talk about in the five to 30 and 100 feet distances from the structure itself.
It’s recommended in the first five feet to avoid anything that combusts, and make sure that screens and vents are properly rated to make sure embers can’t pass through them.
Within 30 feet, it’s important to keep an eye on plants, and structures such as fences and sheds, things that could be flammable.
Finally, within a 100-foot distance, try to keep the grass and foliage clear to avoid allowing potential fires to come up to your house.
“It is all of our responsibilities, all of our kuleana, to figure out how we can not contribute to the problem,” said Chief Todd.