Wildfire protection bill advances in Senate; House defers decision-making until Wednesday

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Maui firefighters work amid trees and brush to put out a fire last year in Waiehu. Bills for better wildfire protection are making their way through the state Legislature. File photo PC: Maui Fire Department

The Senate Committees on Labor & Technology and Public Safety & Military Affairs unanimously passed Senate Bill 1383 on Monday at the State Capitol. The bill would prevent wildfires by adopting an extensive revamping of Hawaiʻi’s fire prevention laws, as proposed by Gov. Josh Green’s administration.

Companion House Bill 1064 was deferred last week by the House Public Safety Committee. Decision making is expected at a committee meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday. The committee’s agenda has a link viewing live-stream on YouTube. The decision-making meeting will not take public testimony.

House Bill 1064, introduced by Speaker Nadine Nakamura, will be reviewed by the House Public Safety and Water & Land committees. The bill, along with companion Senate Bill 1383, would extensively update Hawaiʻi’s fire protection laws with recommendations from the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General’s “final and forward-looking report” on the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

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The bills would require certain owners and occupants of properties located in hazardous fire areas to maintain effective firebreaks within 30 feet of their property and to practice other fire prevention activities.

The legislation would establish the Community Fuels Reduction Project to be administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. A report would be required to the Legislature.

On Jan. 14, Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez released the final, forward-looking report on the August 2023 Maui wildfires. The report was prepared by the Fire Safety Research Institute. It followed two other reports: a Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report (Phase One) and the Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report (Phase Two).

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The forward-looking report includes legislative recommendations, as well as guidance for each county fire department to complete a community risk assessment, produce a community risk reduction plan and conduct a standards of cover analysis.

Brian Perry
Brian Perry worked as a staff writer and editor at The Maui News from 1990 to 2018. Before that, he was a reporter at the Pacific Daily News in Agana, Guam. From 2019 to 2022, he was director of communications in the Office of the Mayor.
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