More than 50 brushfires keep firefighters busy

By Curtis Lum and Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Honolulu Fire Department battled more than 50 brushfires in the past two days, taxing available personnel to the point that firefighters from Windward O'ahu were needed to fill in at the Wahiawa station.

What was unusual was the large number of brushfires yesterday. Generally, Soo said, the day after the Fourth of July is not busy. As of 4:30 p.m., firefighters had put out 20 fires; 14 of those were believed to have been started by fireworks.

By comparison, only five brushfires were reported Wednesday, Soo said. Typically, he added, the department responds daily to 70 calls, which include fires, medical emergencies, activated alarms and people in need of oxygen.

Soo warned residents to expect more fires as summer goes on.

Despite the heavy rains on O'ahu this year, this fire season has the potential to be worse than last year, he said.

"The rains of winter allowed the brush to grow in these areas," he said. "So the brush got thick and with the summer months it's drying out. What's out there is really dry, tall grasses. So we'll see more and more brushfires and the intensity of them increasing."

The fires of the past two days weren't confined to the dry Leeward side of the island, leading Soo to note that it's a common misconception that fires are only a problem there.

"No area is truly immune from brushfires — even on the Windward side," Soo said. "We just had one in Kahuku that was caused by an unauthorized agriculture burn. And we've fought brushfires from the slopes of Punchbowl, to Nu'uanu Valley into the O'ahu Country Club Golf Course and St. Louis Wa'ahila Ridge."

Soo said Hawai'i faces some of the same fire hazards that have plagued the Mainland — namely, as more and more people build homes in brush areas, the risks to life and property increase.

"The sugar cane and pineapple plantations closed down, so the fields have been allowed to grow tall grasses. No one is tending to these large, open fields. They're just waiting for urban development."

Many of the fires Thursday and yesterday required more than one fire company, which Soo said put a strain on firefighters. Fire companies had to be moved to other stations because so many crews from one area were fighting fires.

During a four-hour period yesterday, seven brushfires were reported between Makakilo and Wai'anae, he said.

"It's real taxing for the same crew to go out again and again and again," Soo said. "It might tax them for when that actual structure fire comes or an incident where you'll need a more skilled kind of approach."

But Soo said the department never reached a critical manning level Thursday or yesterday, and the public was never in danger. Still, he said, the department would prefer to keep fire companies in their home station and not move them.

"You're bringing fire crews that are used to responding on the Windward side over to Wahiawa, not that they don't do the job," Soo said. "It just means more references to map books, or not knowing where the dead-end streets are. And if there was to be a big fire on the Windward side for instance, you would not have the accessibility of that one company to respond."

Soo said two brushfires in the Wai'anae area yesterday appeared to have been deliberately set. He said a black Toyota was seen leaving a fire at 12:10 p.m. at 87-319 Farrington Highway and two hours later near the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.

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Protecting yourself from brushfires Here are some brushfire safety tips from the Honolulu Fire Department: • Report hazardous conditions, such as campfires left smoldering, dry and overgrown vegetation, branches hanging too close to utility wires, and unauthorized rubbish and vegetation dumping. • Protect your home by making sure that fire trucks and equipment have ready access to the property and that the address is noticeably displayed. Clean roof gutters often, and prevent dry materials and vegetation from accumulating outside the house. Install smoke detectors on each level of the home. • Create a safety zone around your home by mowing grass regularly, clearing out combustible materials, and storing gasoline, oily rags and flammable items in approved safely cans stored in a safe location. • Prepare your family by devising an emergency plan that includes such things as how to dial 911; establishing procedures for shutting off water, gas and electricity; delineating escape routes; and agreeing on meeting places for family members who may become separated.