HONOLULU — While West Oahu is well known as an area prone to wildfires due to its dryness, East Honolulu is also vulnerable in its own ways.
Due to its high density, topography and frequent human-caused ignitions, East Honolulu is considered at moderate to high risk of wildfire, according to the recently published East Honolulu Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Many individual neighborhoods, however, are rated as at either high or extremely high risk for wildfires.
The nonprofit Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization developed the plan in partnership with various county, state and federal agencies to identify fire risks and prioritize actions.
“Wildfires have repeatedly been a problem in East Honolulu, particularly in Hawaii Kai which is exposed to tradewinds that originate from the north and wrap around the eastern end of the island,” said the plan. “In addition, Hawaii Kai is adjacent to lowland alien-dominated grasslands, shrublands as well as cliffs and ridges which can experience periods of drought.”
Steep slopes and strong wind in portions of East Honolulu, along with a high percentage of ignitable vegetation, make the area vulnerable. In general, the steeper the slope, the higher the rate of fire spread uphill.
“This, coupled with warm weather, recurring drought conditions, and a history of human-caused fires puts the area at increased risk of wildfire,” said the report.
The East Honolulu area covered in the plan stretches across roughly 22,000 acres — from Waikiki and St. Louis Heights to Diamond Head, Kaimuki, Kahala, Aina Haina and Hawaii Kai.
Roughly 50,900 residents live in these neighborhoods, many of which are nestled in valleys or up along ridges, according to the 2020 U.S. census.
History of fires
Based on HWMO’s fire history maps, there have been notable wildfires throughout East Honolulu between 1999 and 2019 — from St. Louis Heights to the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline on the southeastern tip of Oahu.
St. Louis Heights resident Brett Schenk has major concerns about low water pressure at area fire hydrants.
Schenk lives on a narrow street and says the fire hydrant there gets only 15 pounds per square inch, compared with most, which have at least 90. He’s got 600-gallon drums he can fill up with water but wants a backup plan for wildfire emergencies.
He’s trimmed his lychee trees and created defensible space around his home but is well aware there are flammable ironwood trees nearby.
In Hawaii Kai there have been numerous fires over the years that resulted in the closure of Kalanianaole Highway, the area’s sole highway.
There have been wildfires in Kamilo Nui Valley, Kalama Valley and Mariners Ridge that got dangerously close to homes.
Elizabeth Reilly, president of the Livable Hawaii Kai Hui, is not surprised by the plan’s findings, which she hopes will jump-start more action and help communities qualify for federal funding.
In 2017 the Kamilo Nui fires prompted her group to work with HWMO to establish Oahu’s first “Firewise” community.
That year, Kamilo Nui farmers and Mariners Cove residents got together, along with landowner Kamehameha Schools, to create firebreaks, she said, with help from large contractors.
It took a lot of hard work, she said, and to maintain the Firewise designation, community members must continue to maintain three firebreaks.
In the plan, Kamilo Nui Farm Lots are rated as high-risk across three hazard categories, including the subdivision, which weighs in factors such as density and fire service access, the availability of vegetation as fuel, and the ignitability of buildings.
“It would be great if more neighborhoods would become designated Firewise communities,” she said. “The only way to really get a handle on this is for the average resident to not be complacent.”
Other East Honolulu communities — including Waialae Iki V, Waialae Iki Ridge and Queen’s Gate II — are in the process of becoming Firewise communities. On Oahu’s Windward side, Lanikai is also working to become a Firewise community.
Flammable grasses
The vegetation across East Honolulu is dense, dry and flammable, according to the report.
The plan also noted that East Honolulu has a high density of both residents and visitors, given that it is also home to key attractions such as Diamond Head State Park, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Preserve and Koko Crater.
At Diamond Head, invasive fountain grass is a concern. Along the Kaiwi coastline there is a convergence of people, roads and flammable grasses.
At Koko Head District Park, the shooting range is a concern, the plan noted, with ignitable vegetation growing behind the firing targets. Abandoned trash and vehicles are another problem in Kalama Valley and the Kaiwi coastline, where they potentially can spark fires.
Reilly and the Livable Hawaii Kai Hui have for years overseen hundreds of acres of conservation lands, including the vulnerable lands along the Kaiwi coastline.
The group, along with various nonprofits, including the Sierra Club and 808 Cleanups, have been working diligently to restore the area — clearing out invasives and replacing them with natives. But much work remains to be done.
Reilly said if she had a magic wand, every entity in Hawaii Kai would “look at all of this high-level fuel and start taking it down, section by section, and replanting native vegetation.”
The dominant, vegetative fire threats on Oahu include invasive guinea and buffel grasses, the report noted, which dry quickly and are easily ignitable even in humid conditions.
The lower-elevation forests of East Honolulu are filled with non-native trees, including kiawe, koa haole and Christmasberry, all of which are flammable. Koa haole pods, which are pretty much ubiquitous, are particularly worrisome because during strong wind events they can travel several miles, igniting vegetation near homes.
Recommended actions
The plan includes a list of recommended actions, such as the reduction of invasive fuels, whether it be done by crews whacking down weeds or the deployment of goats and sheep. More fuel breaks are needed.
It is also important to ensure that East Honolulu communities have two ways in and two ways out, along with evacuation plans from each neighborhood board. Neighborhoods located high on ridges generally have limited access, with only one way in and one way out.
Ideally, there would be a system of alternative water resources, possibly a network of water cisterns, tanks and swimming pools if needed for firefighting efforts.
Communities also need a reporting system so they are aware of problem areas, and figure out how to contact absentee owners with overgrown vegetation on their properties.
All of these projects would require funding.
Reilly says she will bring the plan to the attention of the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board, of which she is a member, to raise awareness of what needs to be done.
“I just want to make sure it doesn’t just sit on a shelf and collect dust,” she said.
She said remaining challenges include how to make sure easements, including some that belong to Hawaiian Electric, are maintained.
Kalama Valley residents are also concerned about their experiences with recent power outages, she said — in which they lost cellular phone services — and want backup plans for maintaining communications during emergencies.
HWMO also expects to publish Community Wildfire Protection Plans for South Kona, North Kona, Kau, Northwest Hawaii island and Kauai County this year, followed by Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Windward Oahu in following years.
HISTORY OF EAST HONOLULU FIRES
• August 2003, 100 acres. Koko Crater burns to the edge of Kalanianaole Highway, threatening a dozen homes and prompting evacuation of Sandy Beach.
• July 2008, 8 acres. Three intentionally set fires damage Kaiwi shoreline and endangered plants.
• July 2010, 200 acres. Twelve fires set by illegal fireworks that landed in dry brush threaten $50 million worth of homes on Kamehame Ridge in Kalama Valley, prompting evacuation of residents.
• March 2011, 10 acres. Downed power line sets fire near Mariners Ridge.
• November 2011, 50 acres. Abandoned vehicle sets fire in Kaiwi, prompting shutdown of Kalanianaole Highway.
• February 2017, 60 acres. Koko Head Crater wildfire burns close to homes, impedes traffic, results in evacuation of animals from stable.
• May 2017, 65 acres. Kamilo Nui homes threatened by a dozen or so fires intentionally set in the area.
• January 2019, 4 acres. Kaiwi/Hawaii Kai fire threatens shoreline and native plants. No homes threatened.
