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Brush fires a dangerous
plague on the Leeward Coast

THE ISSUE A series of blazes has scorched close to 3,000 acres on the Leeward Coast of Oahu during the past week.

BRUSH fires ignited on Oahu by foolish thrill-seekers have closed schools and a health clinic, caused respiratory misery, cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, injured firefighters, threatened rare plants and animals and frightened residents.

A string of blazes during the past week has scarred nearly 3,000 acres along five miles of the Leeward Coast and inland to the Waianae range. Though there has been no loss of life or damage to structures, the community, the city and law enforcement officials should deal with the situation earnestly.

Brush fires have become a rite of the dry season in rural areas, but particularly in Leeward Oahu. They are so common, people seem to shrug off the burnings as a mark of summer, a routine for firefighters.

Since last Tuesday there have been 34 fires -- for a total of 200 so far this year -- most of them on the coast, most of them believed to have been started maliciously.

The largest has destroyed 2,200 acres in Nanakuli and at one point required 22 of Honolulu Fire Department's 42 engine companies, leaving 20 spread thin to cover the rest of the island. As of yesterday afternoon, more than a week after the blaze started, dozens of firefighters were still on the scene, putting out hot spots. In areas inaccessible by foot, the fire required water drops from the HFD's helicopter that costs $325 an hour for 12 hours a day through seven days of operations. In addition, two military and two state helicopters have made drops through hazardous windy conditions.

Smoke forced two Nanakuli schools to close while flames from another fire near a Waianae school prompted a health clinic to shut down. Fire did not reach forest and nature reserves, home to rare native plants and animals, but sent pueo and elepaio flying from their habitats.

Indications are that some in the close-knit community know who the fire bugs are, but are reluctant to point fingers.

Even if culprits are identified, arrests and convictions are rare because Hawaii does not have an arson law. Suspects would have to be charged with criminal property damage, difficult to prove when the properties involved are terrains of shrubs and trees.

Nonetheless, police should diligently pursue leads, if not for arrests, then at least to give warning that irresponsible behavior will not be tolerated. Legislators should pass a law that would punish and deter fire starters.

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