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MAHALO to all who participated!

We are better prepared after our Sept. 9, 2023 "Are You Ready?" Waimea Fire Prevention & Resilience

WAIMEA PREVENTION AND RESILIENCE FAIR PUTS WILDFIRE CENTER STAGE

(WAIMEA, HAWAI’I ISLAND) - As many as 1,000 people were expected to attend a wildfire fair today, organized by the Waimea Resilience Hub, at the Mana Christian 'Ohana's Kahilu Town Hall.


Planning for the fair began last winter, well in advance of wildfires on Hawai’i Island and recent ones on Maui, including the blaze that leveled Lāhainā town and killed more than 100 people, with five dozen others still unaccounted for.


One of the organizers of the event, Tim Bostock, believes many Waimea area residents became more fire wise following the massive Mana Road fire four years ago.


“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 were encouraged to place colored dots under disaster types they most worry about. Wildfire and tsunami were the top two.


Another theme of the fair was knowing your neighborhood and your neighbors. Organizer Diane Chadwick said, “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. 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 fires 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 which can spread fires extremely fast.


Many of the tables spread across the floor were geared toward wildfire preparedness, prevention, and resilience. Outside several island fire departments had apparatus on display, always a big hit for keiki, as was Kaleo the Pueo, the mascot for the Hawai’i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO).

The non-profit has long been a clearinghouse for drought and wildfire information, including introducing the annual Wildfire and Drought Lookout! campaign in partnership with DLNR and other fire agencies six years ago.


HWMO 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 the 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. 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,” Bostock added.  


RESOURCES

(All images and video courtesy: DLNR)

HD video - Waimea Wildfire Prevention and Resilience Fair (Sept. 9, 2023):

https://vimeo.com/862783678

Photographs – Waimea Wildfire Prevention and Resilience Fair (Sept. 9, 2023):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/gwwixafdbfpc4kq4ibqlk/h?rlkey=enb2fw1ugrkpnvj445rbds0nd&dl=0


Mahalo to our Community Partners!

A warm thanks to all of these partners and friends who helped present the fair!  


9Alpha Hawai’i Volunteer Fire Company 

9Bravo Hawai’i Volunteer Fire Company 

Air Med Care

Art Monastery

Daniel Sayre Memorial Foundation

Hamakua-Kohala Health 

Hawai’i County Civil Defense

Hawai’i County Fire Department

Hawai’i County Planning Dept. – General Plan Update 

Hawai’i County Police Department

Hawai’i County – R&D – Broadband Initiative

Hawai’i Island Fentanyl Task Force

Hawai’i Island Food Basket & Kokua Harvest

Hawai’i Preparatory Academy

Hawai’i Tracker

Hawai’i Wildfire Management Organization & Firewise USA

HELCO

Kohala-Hamakua Radio Club

Kokua Christian Ministries 

Mala’ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School

North Hawai’i Rotary Club

North Kohala Resilience Hub

Parker School – Helping Hands Club 

Pohakuloa Training Area

Thelma Parker Memorial Library

Tutu’s House

UH-CTAHR

US Army Corps of Engineers – 3Rs UXO Safety

Vibrant Hawai’i

Waimea CERT 

Waimea Community Association

Waimea Plant Based Hui

Waimea Preservation Association



To learn more about Waimea Resilience Hub, and see photos of our Fair, visit us on Facebook.   


We Are The Waimea Resilience Hub

Launched in September 2019 by a core team of volunteers, the Waimea Hub exists as part of a growing network of Hubs across Hawaiʻi Island inspired and supported by Vibrant Hawaiʻi. The Hub aims to connect the residents of Waimea with resources needed to thrive in challenging times. 

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