Waikoloa park used to demonstrate fire mitigation techniques

BY CHELSEA JENSEN

WEST HAWAII TODAY

cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com

Waikoloa’s Dryland Wildfire Safety Park may be quaint, but the 100-foot wide garden holds many secrets to mitigating the hazards of a real brush fire.

“This is a demonstration of what residents can do around their homes ahead of time to protect themselves from fire,” said Miles Nakahara, vice president of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization. “Normally, homeowners don’t look at this until a fire is coming, but this is the chance to preplan.”

Converting landscaping from fire-fueling plants to fire-resistant vegetation as well as creating a buffer zone can significantly reduce the risk of losing property or lives in a wildfire, said Nakahara. Native Hawaiian plants, including wiliwili, nanu and ulei, as well as drought resistant non-native species that are not invasive, such as jade, make good choices.

“Protect your home with fire-resistant plants and defensible space, and your home may be spared if a fire approaches,” Nakahara said.

About a dozen people ascended upon the small park located on Melia Street in Waikoloa. The park, a collaboration of the nonprofit Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Hawaii County, Waikoloa Village Association and others, is funded by grants from the Atherton Family Foundation and the National Wildland/Urban Interface Program, said Terra Sutton, a project manager and designer with Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization.

Maintaining the park will fall under the auspices of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, which strives to protect Big Island communities and irreplaceable natural resources from the impacts of wildfires, she said.

On Hawaii Island, wildfires have devastated once abundant and diverse forested slopes of North Kohala, South Kohala and North Kona, Sutton said. The fires often start near or encroach upon homes and communities making it important to decrease the threat as well as take mitigation efforts well ahead of time.

“With a lot of fires that occur in this area, we hope this park will help bring an awareness to wildfires and show people how to plant to prevent wildfires,” she said. “This interactive, educational park will exemplify wildfire safety guidelines and how to protect your home from wildfire using primarily native Hawaiian dryland forest plants.”

For fourth-grade Waikoloa School students Miko Domingo, Shamar Sarme and River Goldberg, having everyone realize just how much of an impact wildfires have had on the island and will continue to have in the future is important. The trio hopes that residents from around the island, not just those in South Kohala, will visit the park and take home some ideas to protect their own homes and communities.

“If something catches on fire right here it’s going make an even bigger fire,” said Sarme, who added he was “very scared” when a large wildfire encroached on the Waikoloa Village area in 2005. “But, if people take the time and put in ‘firewise’ plants it can slow the fire down so it can’t burn more and help make it easier (for firefighters).”

For more information on the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization and its projects, visit hawaiiwildfire.org. For more information on fire preparation and safety, visit firewise.org and wildlandfirersg.org.