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HI SR176

Resolution

Status

Passed

4/7/2026

Primary Sponsor

Angus McKelvey

Click for details

Origin

Senate

2026 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Hawaii Senate urges Maui County to adopt wildland-urban interface safety ordinances for plantation towns and high-risk communities, following the model of Kauai County's Ordinance No. PM-2025-425 adopted September 8, 2025

  • Recommended safety standards include ember-resistant construction, noncombustible zones adjacent to structures, defensible space requirements, vegetation management, and wildfire risk mapping integrated into zoning and permitting

  • The 2023 Maui wildfires demonstrated catastrophic risks when wildland fire transitions to urban conflagration, resulting in loss of life, homes, businesses, and cultural resources in Lahaina

  • Historic plantation towns like Paia and Makawao face similar wildfire risks due to their built environment, road patterns, lot configurations, vegetation, topography, and wind-driven fire exposure

  • Certified copies to be transmitted to the Governor, Maui County Mayor, Maui County Council Chair, Maui Fire Chief, Emergency Management Administrator, and Planning Director

Legislative Description

Urging The County Of Maui To Adopt Ordinances That Establish Wildland-urban Interface Safety Standards For Plantation Towns And Other High-risk Communities, Taking Into Account The County Of Kauai's Ordinance No. Pm-2025-425, Relating To The Plantation Camp District Wildfire And Wildland Urban Interface, And Other State And National Wildland-urban Interface Best Practices.

County of Kauai

Last Action

Report and Resolution Adopted.

4/7/2026

Committee Referrals

Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs3/19/2026

Full Bill Text

No bill text available