HI HCR109

A large brush fire ignited on the western end of Kahoolawe on February 22, 2020, burning approximately 9,000 acres (about one-third of the island) over six days before being extinguished by heavy rains.

Firefighting efforts were hampered by the presence of unexploded ordnance remaining from over fifty years of U.S. Navy bombing practice, with only 65 percent of the island's surface cleared and 25 percent (6,690 acres) remaining uncleared.

The Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission's upland field storage area suffered complete loss of storage structures, equipment, supplies, motor vehicles, construction equipment, and all-terrain vehicles essential for island infrastructure maintenance and restoration efforts.

All state departments and agencies are urged to cooperate and provide technical, engineering, or logistical support to the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission in recovery and restoration efforts.

Certified copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the Governor and Executive Director of the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.