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HONOLULU (AP) – Firefighters have gained more control over a wildfire in Hawaii that forced thousands to evacuate over the weekend and destroyed at least two homes on the Big Island, but officials have warned that strong winds Monday could again increase the danger.
Authorities lifted evacuation orders but warned they could be reinstated at any time and people should be ready to leave.
“This is the biggest (fire) we’ve ever had on this island,” Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of the over 62 square mile (160 square kilometer) blaze. “With the drought conditions we had, it is worrying. You see something like that where you put thousands of homes in danger, it’s very worrying.
The fires in Hawaii are unlike many in the western United States. They tend to erupt in large grasslands on the dry sides of islands and are usually much smaller than fires on the mainland.
Even though Hawaii has a humid tropical climate that is generally not threatened by large fires, fires could become more frequent as weather conditions associated with climate change intensify.
The islands have experienced a declining trend in overall rainfall in recent years. Drought conditions have reached the most severe level in parts of Hawaii in recent years, according to the US Drought Monitor. Drought linked to climate change has made forest fires more difficult to fight.
Two homes have been confirmed destroyed in the Hawaii fire. One owner said he tried to protect his property but lost the battle when the wind picked up.
“I had a bulldozer on my lawn, my yard, and I tried to make a fire break,” said Joshua Kihe from the community of Waimea. Hawaii News Now. He said the fire destroyed his house.
“I really need to think of a plan because it changes my life,” he said.
Others rushed to evacuate.
“I just saw the flames come,” said Kanani Malakaua, a resident of Waimea. “I mostly got my important papers, I made sure my kids were in the car, I got my animals – but it’s a very, very scary time for us.”
Some nearby roads were closed, making some neighborhoods inaccessible, but there was no imminent threat to these homes.
Hawaii County Fire Chief Kazuo Todd said winds are expected to increase on Monday.
“Our current wind forecast shows winds between 18 and 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph,” Todd said on Sunday evening, “and so, throughout the evening, our crews will be working to build cups. -fire with bulldozers and rear burns, this temporary lift on compulsory evacuation may need to be stepped up later due to prevailing weather conditions.
Strong winds and generally dry conditions will continue across all islands Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The gusts will start to weaken on Tuesday.
The fire chief said neighboring communities could be inundated with smoke and anyone with health or breathing problems should find another place to stay.
Roth, the mayor of Big Island, said the way the wind crosses the area makes it difficult to fight the blazes and authorities and residents alike must remain vigilant.
“The winds are kind of swirling, so they’re going to come in one direction for a few minutes and then all of a sudden they’re blowing in a different direction; it really makes it really hard to fight a fire when you have swirling winds, ”Roth said.
Several forest fires were also burning in drought-stricken California and Oregon.
Containment reached 35% on Monday for California’s largest, the Dixie Fire, which covered about 388 square miles (1,005 square kilometers) in mountains where 45 homes and other buildings were destroyed.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued Monday for Greenville, a town of about 1,000 residents, as gusts pushed the flames into Plumas and Butte counties in northern California.
Further evacuation orders and warnings were lifted over the weekend for several areas of northern California, but about 3,000 homes remained at risk from the Dixie fire as winds pushed the flames to through the dry fuels on the remote hills.
Over the weekend, a lightning-triggered wildfire threatened isolated homes along the Trinity River in California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The 5-square-mile (13-square-mile) McFarland fire was 5% contained on Monday.
In southern Oregon, lightning struck parched forests hundreds of times in 24 hours, sparking more than 50 new wildfires as the nation’s largest blaze burned within 100 miles, said Monday. officials.
Firefighters and planes pounced on the new fires before they spread uncontrollably. No house was immediately threatened.
The Bootleg Fire, the largest in the country at 647 square miles (1,676 square kilometers), was 84% contained on Monday, although it was not fully under control until October 1.
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