S4 Ep12: From Mauka to Makai: How Wildfire Prevention Protects Hawaii's Ecosystem

Elizabeth Pickett of Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization shares her 17-year journey from marine conservation to wildfire prevention, explaining how post-fire erosion damages coastal ecosystems and the organization's evolution to address this connection. After decades developing resources with limited public engagement, the devastating 2023 Lahaina fire dramatically increased awareness and demand for HWMO's wildfire prevention and mitigation materials.

• HWMO started 25 years ago when ranchers, farmers, and firefighters noticed increasing fires but found no existing organizations addressing the issue
• Organization offers comprehensive resources from tracking fire patterns and community wildfire protection plans to residential safety measures and land management strategies
• Provides different levels of support, from free workshops to affordable consultation services that help develop mitigation plans
• Post-fire resources emphasize soil stabilization before replanting, honoring community safety and proper recovery sequence
• Collaborative programs like Firewise Communities and Wildfire Resilient Landscapes encourage neighbors and adjacent landowners to work together
• Fire management requires cross-boundary coordination across diverse groups rather than siloed approaches
• Hawaii-specific resources address unique island challenges including limited native seed availability for post-fire restoration

For more information and resources on wildfire prevention and mitigation in Hawaii, visit the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization website or the Pacific Fire Exchange, a collaborative project with the University of Hawaii.

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