VIDEO: In the last month, four wildfires have put Kauai County emergency responders to the test — and offered firefighters an opportunity to use new tools and procedures.
Kauai Fire Department Chief Mike Gibson said there is a limit to what first responders can do.
“We can hold a fire in check if it doesn’t have great wind behind it. But for one that has great wind behind it, the most we can do is alert people and evacuate,” Gibson told HNN Investigates.
That’s exactly what happened July 15, when people in Kaumakani were told to leave after flames broke out in Hanapepe, scorching one structure and upwards of 1,100 acres.
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami said better planning and protocols can make a difference.
“If all other means fail, that last line of defense oftentimes are county roads and state highways. And if we’re not maintaining the shoulders, it increases the chance of these fires jumping over that road,” he said.