LIHU‘E — County of Kaua‘i officials reacted to the large wildfires that tore through Maui and Hawaii Island on Wednesday, with the chief of the Kaua‘i Fire Department asking the public to remain vigilant to help avoid a similar situation on the island.
An uncontrolled wildfire swept through Maui’s historic Lahaina on Wednesday, destroying hundreds of acres, homes and businesses, and leaving at least six people dead.
“A wildfire destroying a city never crossed my mind. We’ve had hurricanes, volcanoes, but wildfires? I mean, we have had our share, but not to this magnitude where it completely wiped out a town,” said Council Chair Mel Rapozo in an interview with The Garden Island on Wednesday afternoon.
“This one surprises me. And I was kind of shocked,” he added.
But Michael Gibson, the chief of the Kaua‘i Fire Department, said he was not surprised by the large fires burning across Maui and Hawai‘i Island.
“We’ve been concerned for quite a while,” he said in a separate interview with The Garden Island on Wednesday afternoon.
He noted that Kaua‘i has the same weather conditions for wildfires, and urged the public to be cautious by refraining from outdoor cooking and avoiding activities that may start fires.
“It can happen just like we saw on Maui,” he said of the potential for an outbreak on Kaua‘i.
“That’s definitely what we are very concerned about because we have those same conditions here. We have the same red flag conditions and remote humidity high winds, high temperatures, and we had a very rainy season last year. So we’re asking the public to remain vigilant,” he said.
The National Weather Service extended its red flag warning until 6 a.m. on Thursday for the leeward areas of all Hawaiian Islands, including Kauai. The warning was previously set to end at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
“We want it to end as quickly as we can,” said Gibson of the warning. “But as long as these conditions are there, we just all have to be careful,” he added, noting that fire crews are on standby in case of an emergency on Kaua‘i.
Gibson also stated the Kaua‘i Fire Department is working with the federal government and state to send firefighters to affected areas on Maui and Hawai‘i Island.
“That’s currently being assembled right now,” he said, adding he was unsure how many firefighters would be able to assist.
County Council member Addison Bulosan said others on Kaua‘i that want to assist should refuse flying out to the devastated areas.
“There’s a lot of people that are contacting me say, ‘Hey, let’s go fly over there right now,’” he said in an interview on Wednesday. “That’s probably not going to be helpful because that’s just more people that the community has to account for.”
Bulosan recommended that people looking to assist make a donation to Red Cross, Maui Food Bank and other official organizations.
“Stay aware of who you’re helping,” he said, noting people should be mindful of potentially fraudulent organizations asking for donations. “I just don’t want people to donate 100 bucks and it’s not helping the actual community.”
In a Wednesday statement, Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami said the county is ready to assist the neighboring islands.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Maui and the Big Island as they continue to respond to the devastating wildfires in their communities. Seeing the images of the destruction on Maui leaves me speechless,” he said.
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Emma Grunwald, reporter, can be reached 808-652-0638 or egrunwald@thegardenisland.com.
