#fire weather watch

The Maui Emergency Management Agency advises the public of a Fire Weather Watch, in effect for Friday morning through Saturday afternoon. The watch was issued mainly for leeward areas of all Hawaiian Islands due to windy conditions and low humidity.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for leeward areas of all islands from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. This replaces an earlier announcement of a Fire Weather Watch.

The Maui Fire Department will be conducting live fire training on Nov. 18, 21 and 22 as part of its 40th recruit class. In light of the latest forecast info from the National Weather Service indicating that a Fire Weather Watch will be up for all leeward areas of all islands on Friday; the live fire training planned for this Friday, Nov. 15 has been postponed. 

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch, in effect for the leeward areas of all islands from Friday morning through Friday afternoon. A combination of strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph, low relative humidity as low as 40-50%, and dry fuels can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

“The people of Hawai‘i have seen how quickly a wildfire can spread and the devastation it can bring – Maui is still coping with the consequences,” HI-EMA Administrator James Barros said. “We want to assure everyone that we are keeping close watch, but we need your help to reduce risk.”

The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 10 a.m. today to 6 p.m. Monday. Relative humidity is forecast to be as low as 40% and will reach its lowest during the afternoon hours.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 10 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. HST Monday. This replaces the Fire Weather Watch that had been issued earlier.

Three weeks after the devastation of Lahaina, crews are still working to recover and to strengthen defenses against windstorms and wildfires. With high winds and severe drought conditions continuing to threaten parts of Maui, the trio vowed to work together to minimize the risk of wildfire and ensure public safety.

The conditions are not expected to be as hazardous as the hurricane-accelerated winds that accompanied the Aug. 7 and 8, 2023 wildfires on Hawai‘i island and Maui, when gusts exceeded 60 mph. However, the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for leeward areas of all Hawaiian islands from midday Wednesday through Thursday afternoon.

Dry fuels combined with strong trade winds and lowering humidities could produce critical fire weather conditions Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.