Team Rubicon mitigates wildfire risks in west Hawai’i

Volunteers are in Kailua-Kona to help residents protect their community from the increasing dangers of wildland fires.

Team Rubicon, a veteran-led nonprofit humanitarian organization, performs mitigation operations year-round to ease wildfire risks for vulnerable communities nationwide, including recent projects on Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, and Maui.

Team Rubicon’s volunteers, called Greyshirts, are removing hazards and invasive species, and thinning existing woodlands to slow the advancement of wildland fires. There is also a team creating a healthier woodland buffer zone that is both resilient to fire and beneficial to wildlife and people.

This operation is possible because of critical support from the Puʻuanahulu community, the Puʻuanahulu Volunteer Fire Station 16B, and the Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Team Rubicon responded to 98 disasters across North America last year. With volunteers living in every state, including more than 1,200 in Hawaiʻi, the nonprofit can serve communities across the nation.

This year to date, Team Rubicon has completed 61 operations across the country and recently deployed to Burnet County, Texas, for food recovery, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, for flood response, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, for severe storm response, and Los Angeles County, California, for wildfire recovery.

As hurricane and tornado season continues, Team Rubicon relies on its 200,000 volunteers to respond to where they are most needed. To support Greyshirts and Team Rubicon’s humanitarian mission, visit www.teamrubiconusa.org to donate, volunteer, and find more information.