Put a damper on Fourth of July celebrations.For a second straight year, we are facing the effects of drought. Reservoirs are at about half of their combined capacity. The Central Maui water system has been in drought conditions since August of last year. Upcountry Maui, fresh off mandatory 10 percent cutbacks last year, is once again faced with drought since early May. The Department of Water Supply is requesting a voluntary 5 percent cutback in water usage. Kahului Airport had its driest March and April on record. During this dry spring, we received less than 50 percent of our normally expected rainfall.
Given West Maui’s continuing dry conditions, West Maui and North Kihei state Rep. Angus McKelvey said earlier this year that he believed the no-pop zone legislation he proposed to the Legislature would have protected his district from fires. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass. It would have allowed county fire chiefs to designate areas in which fireworks would be prohibited and given all counties the ability to designate “no-pop” zones in areas that receive an average annual rainfall of less than 10 inches. If the legislation had passed, there would be little celebrating on Maui this July 4.
In its seasonal drought outlook report issued June 5, NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center indicated that our current drought conditions are likely to persist or intensify, with an enhanced likelihood of drought development for most of the island chain not already in drought. According to the latest from the U.S. Drought Monitor Website, the persistent dryness has led to the expansion of D1 eastward in Maui. D1 is a designation indicating moderate drought. D2, D3 and D4 indicate severe, extreme and exceptional, respectively.
The National Drought Mitigation Center figures show that 99.4 percent of Hawai‘i is classified as D0, or abnormally dry, compared with 75 percent a year ago; 18.6 percent is classified as D1, or in moderate drought; and 2.8 percent is classified as D2, or severe drought—and this is just the beginning of our dry season.
Where there’s drought, there’s an increased likelihood of fire. In July last year, two fires broke out in a portion of the 2,300 acres of the Kula Forest Reserve that were torched earlier in the year by a careless smoker. Over 2,600 acres burned in the Olowalu area last July. At least two brush fires, one Upcountry and one in West Maui, were ignited by children using fireworks. This year is drier than last year.
Fourth of July fun traditionally includes fireworks. But before you go out and spend your gas and grocery money on pyroclastics, think about the state of our state. Law or no law, some common sense is sorely needed this Independence Day. If you want to play with fire this holiday, why not create a new tradition? Bake a cake, stick a candle in it, sing Happy 232nd Birthday to you dear America, and blow it out. Don’t let your holiday go up in smoke.
For more information, go to www.hawaiidrought.com. To find useful fire prevention tips, go to www.firewise.org.