UPCOUNTRY, Maui — A daily fire watch continues on Maui, one month after a series of wildfires tore through parts of the island killing at least 115 people and devastating Lahaina.
The day after day patrolling is indicative of weighty drought conditions on the Valley Isle, particularly in places like the Waihou Spring Forest Reserve where the Olinda Fire charred more than 1,000 acres in early August. The daily patrols are conducted by a four-person team from the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
“I’m born and raised on Maui, and I’ve never seen upcountry as dry as it is this year. I was looking at old satellite images and you can see that it is progressively getting drier, like all upcountry is completely brown,” said Chris Chow, a forester with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, on Wednesday.
“These roads that we’re driving, you can tell this place is dry based on the soil. It is just powder. Just walking on it, you’ve got powder everywhere. The vegetation is just so crispy. When it was catching fire, it was like within seconds an entire bush would be consumed.”
Chow, who made his remarks in an update transmitted via the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the daily patrols also serve to reassure residents in difficult times.
“Truly one of the biggest things that comes out of these patrols is showing a presence because, right now, everyone’s on edge,” Chow said. “Anytime people see smoke pop up, they call 911. And so, our purpose here is letting the Maui Fire Department and other first responders take care of other things, and then we can just handle things here.”
The Olinda Fire is proving to be stubborn and could continue smoldering deep down in its roots for as long as two months. A large, fallen tree showed as much.
“What we have here is one tree that fell over, and the inside is burning,” said John Neizman of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife. “So, we had to do some notching, and then add water just to get the hotspot inside the tree.”
With dozens of other trees still smoking in the forest reserve area, the daily patrols will be a fixture for the foreseeable future.
The Olinda Fire was one of three major wildfires that erupted on Aug. 8.
The Olinda Fire, which is 90 percent contained, burned approximately 1,081 acres. The Kula Fire, which is 95 percent contained, burned an estimated 202 acres. The Lahaina Fire, which is 100 percent contained, burned approximately 2,070 acres and claimed at least 115 lives, the County of Maui said.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
