The drought conditions that have persisted during the summer may linger into October and November, keeping conditions ripe for wildfires, according to a gathering of wildfire management experts.
This was the central message of the annual Wildfire & Drought LOOKOUT! awareness campaign, hosted by the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), according to a release from Gov. David Y. Ige's office. The collaborative effort involved dozens of wildfire and water management organizations and agencies statewide.
Meteorologist Derek Wroe, of the National Weather Service Honolulu Forecast Office, said extreme drought conditions exist in large portions of Oahu, Maui County, and the Big Island. “As people know, we are heading into the hotter and drier summer months, and projections call for rainfall to be below normal,” Wroe said in the release. “As a result, drought will likely expand and worsen over the fire-prone leeward areas. These drier-than-normal conditions may linger into the beginning of the normal wet season in October and November.”
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows extreme drought on Molokai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii Island. Only Kauai is currently drought-free. “As people know, we’re heading into the much dryer, hotter summer months, so there’s no reason to expect any relief from the drought,” Wroe said. “We do expect the percentage of land in the extreme-to-exceptional drought categories to grow.”
Dr. Clay Trauernicht, an Ecosystems and Fire Extension Specialist at the University of Hawaii, said the state loses as much acreage to fire as large states on the West Coast. “Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to protect our people and places from wildfire. We just all need to take preparedness action,” Trauernicht said.
Those who use the forest are reminded that ground fires are prohibited on lands managed by DOFAW, which include State Forest Reserves and Natural Area Reserves. Campfires must be in a container such as in a barbeque grill or metal drum. All embers must be extinguished when the fire is unattended.
“We recommend campers and hikers carry extra water and fire extinguishers in their vehicles when in forested or vegetated areas, especially during dry, windy summer months,” DOFAW State Wildfire Manager Mike Walker said.