ANAHOLA — On Thursday, as North Shore Give Week continued, a collaborative effort with Aina Alliance facilitated the removal of abandoned vehicles in Anahola.
Aina Alliance and the North Shore Give Community Foundation hosted their inaugural heavy equipment fire mitigation event in partnership with North Shore Give Week, welcoming students interested in a career in construction.
About 120 students from Waimea High School, Kanuikapono Public Charter School, Kapaa High School and Kauai High School, as well as the Kauai Fire Department (KFD), and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), were all in attendance for the heavy machinery field trip.
“This is a learning experience for the kids to see how heavy machinery activities can help solve the problems on Kauai. By helping and cleaning up decades of dumping, we can show how we protect the land and the community from wildfires,” said President of Aina Alliance Jeremy Makepa.
In September 2023, a brush fire in Anahola exposed more than 40 abandoned vehicles in the area. Makepa indicated the objective is to properly dispose of approximately 20 of those abandoned cars.
“Kapaa Construction has brought some of their operators down from Koloa,” Makepa said. “We are happy to have people from all over the island here, we have this problem and we are glad all these people are here to help.”
Makepa hopes the event can teach the students the importance of fire mitigation cleanup and the importance of having practical heavy machinery skills. Skills he says are essential for students to learn so they can later secure future employment opportunities and sustain their livelihoods on the island.
“A lot of times we depend on the government to do a lot of the things the community can handle. For me, I think we should just be our own hero. Think about what you can do in your community to help instead of just sitting on the sideline and saying: they should do this, and they should do that. Think about what you can do to help your community, and that is what we are doing here,” said Makepa with a smile and a shaka.
Aina Alliance and partners successfully junked over 30 cars during Thursday’s event.
“Not bad for a day’s work. Empowering the next generation and getting them involved to help solve problems in the community makes this event even more impactful,” Makepa said.
KFD Chief Michael Gibson also expressed gratitued to all the participants involved in the event and emphasized the critical importance of fire safety.
“We also thank Aina Alliance, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and volunteers for their efforts to clear debris from the fire site that occurred last year in Anahola. As we head into Fire Prevention Week in October, we are reminded on the importance of fire safety and being fire wise,” Gibson said.
“Clearing excess vegetation and debris from your own properties, and ensuring you have operational smoke detectors are just some small ways you can prevent a dangerous fire from occurring. Careless and intentional acts of arson threaten everyone’s lives and property. We urge anyone with information on suspicious activity to contact the Kauai Police Department or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers Kauai.”
For more information on Aina Alliance or further information on the organization, visit aianalliance.com. To provide support to other non-profit organizations, who participated in North Shore Give Week, visit northshoregive.org
