Kaua‘i adopts Hawai‘i’s first wildfire safety zoning ordinance

Kaua‘i has become the first county in Hawai‘i to embed wildfire safety standards directly into zoning and permitting. On Monday, Sept. 8, Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami signed Bill 2961 into law after unanimous approval by the Kaua‘i County Council.

The ordinance applies to West Kaua‘i’s plantation camp districts — including Kaumakani Village and Avenue, Numila, Ka‘āwanui and Pākalā Camp — and embeds fire mitigation, home-hardening and defensible-space standards into plantation camp codes. It also updates the West Kaua‘i Community Plan to reflect these added protections.

The measure requires steps including:

• A 5-foot clear zone around homes with no flammable items.
• Safer spacing and upkeep of vegetation within 30 feet.
• Low, well-maintained vegetation up to 100 feet.
• Fire-resistant roofs, ember-proof vents, screened crawl spaces and stronger windows.

Planning Director Ka‘āina Hull said the county will focus first on education and outreach, with enforcement triggered by complaints from the Fire Chief.

The law makes Kaua‘i the first county in the state to adopt formal Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) standards in zoning and permitting processes.

Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization, called the ordinance “a breakthrough in making wildfire safety part of everyday planning, design and property care.”

The ordinance takes effect immediately for all new development applications in plantation camp districts.

“We’re proud to support Kaua‘i’s leadership and look forward to continued work with partners and residents to become more wildfire-ready and wildfire-resilient,” Pickett said.

View Bill 2961 here.