Waimea resilience fair puts wildfire prevention center stage

Droves of people attended a wildfire prevention and resilience fair Sept. 9 in Waimea on the Big Island at the Mana Christian ‘Ohana’s Kahilu Town Hall.

Planning for the fair, organized by the Waimea Resilience Hub, began last winter, well in advance of wildfires last month on the Big Island and Maui, including the blaze that leveled historic Lāhainā and killed more than 100 people, with five dozen others still missing.

One of the event’s organizers Tim Bostock thinks many Waimea area residents became more fire wise following the massive Māna Road fire several years ago on the Big Island. In late July and early August of 2021, the fire scorched more than 42,000 acres of mostly grassland above Waimea, largely on the Parker Ranch.

“As recent fire disasters around the state have shown, preparation and resilience are critical to all communities for all kinds of natural and human-caused disasters,” Bostock said.

Participants at Saturday’s fair were encouraged to place colored dots under disaster types they most worry about. Wildfires and earthquakes were the top two.

Another theme of the fair was knowing your neighborhood and your neighbors.

“When a disaster strikes it’s critical for your neighbors to know what you need, as well as letting them know how you might be able to help,” said organizer Diane Chadwick. “For example, if you have an older or disabled neighbor you could potentially save a life by helping them evacuate.

Last month’s Maui wildfires in particular created heightened awareness of the risks of wildfire to entire communities, neighborhoods and individuals in Hawai‘i, where climate change has resulted in longer and more serious droughts leading to tinder dry fuels that can spread fires extremely fast.

Many of the tables spread across at the Kahilu Town Hall floor were geared toward wildfire preparedness, prevention and resilience. Outside, several fire departments had apparatuses on display, always a big hit for keiki, as was Kaleo the Pueo (owl), the mascot for the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization.

The nonprofit has long been a clearinghouse for drought and wildfire information, including introducing the annual Wildfire and Drought Lookout! campaign in partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources and other fire agencies six years ago.

Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization and the Firewise USA program, which it administers, literally had center stage at the fair. In the month since the Lāhainā Fire, leaders of the organization have done dozens of media interviews and have seen a tremendous uptick in requests for programming and resources it offers statewide.

One speaker compared being fire ready to the concept of “it takes a village to raise a child.”

“Recent fires have demonstrated, in the most graphic and tragic manner imaginable, why no community, no individual, no one anywhere in Hawai‘i can afford to be complacent about wildfires,” Bostock said. “As the experts tell us, they can ignite just about anywhere or anytime of the year. The theme of connecting is very important. We all need to work toward making our homes, our properties and our communities more resilient. The time is now.”