After extreme fires last year that claimed 102 lives, Maui is trying to tackle the invasive grasses that pose a big wildfire risk. That could mean restoring the land to what it once was.
The destructive wildfire that hit Lahaina a year ago revealed major gaps in Maui's wildfire policy. Officials are just starting to address them.There’s heavy machinery — a large mower and excavator — parked in Gordon Firestein’s neighborhood, just south of Lahaina. To him, they’re symbols of hope.
After the deadliest fire in modern American history, Maui’s government is taking similar steps. Fire officials are drafting new rules for large landowners on clearing vegetation around buildings. A new law will impose tougher financial penalties on those who don’t comply. The fire department is also adding new staff.
The risks were well-known even before last August, especially to Firestein. Years ago, he joined with a few neighbors to create a. The national program, run by the non-profit National Fire Protection Association, gives communities a toolkit to help reduce their fire risk, including how to make houses more fire-resistant. Some neighbors were interested, others not so much.
Despite the new awareness, Firestein says it took several attempts to pass the rules. Some neighbors were concerned about the additional landscaping costs. After the sugarcane industry left West Maui, the former fields filled with invasive grasses that dry to a crisp during the summer, posing a serious fire hazard.At Maui’s fire department, fire chief Brad Ventura says those large unmanaged landscapes are a priority. Maui regularly sees brush fires break out, especially as droughts get more intense in a hotter climate.
“It's hard to say, to be honest with you, if we’re ever going to be that strict in the state of Hawaii due to the size,” he says. “We have 4,000 square foot lots. You don’t have defensible space on that.” Fire experts say to substantially reduce the risk of extreme fires, West Maui’s large swaths of open land need to be transformed.
Kainoa Pestana stands among native Hawaiian plants at one of Pu'u Kukui Watershed's restoration sites. The former pineapple field is being returned to a native forest.“So this is the early stages of what we want it to look like,” says Pestana of Pu’u Kukui Watershed, standing next to a young koa tree that’s three feet tall. “These trees are known to grow 100 feet tall, 500 years old.”
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