The Crater Road Fire, which started Wednesday on Haleakala, has so far burned 355 acres of land. The acreage measurement decreased from previous reporting because of more accurate mapping assessments.
Maui Emergency Management Agency sent out a message at 7:30 p.m. Thursday that lifted the Crater Road Fire emergency advisory that had been sent earlier in the day.
The Maui Fire Department reported that the fire is 50% contained as of Thursday at 8 p.m. MFD ground and air crews have stopped the fire’s forward progress and dozers have cut control lines around most of the fire’s perimeter. It said that four engines, three wildland engines, 11 tankers, five dozers and two helicopters are active, and that the fire is located at the 7,000-foot elevation. MFD and a 27-person Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s wildland crew worked on the area throughout the day.
Drone were deployed at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to survey the fire using a thermal lens to better detect hot spots. MFD crews remained on the scene overnight to monitor the situation and to contain and extinguish hot spots.
No injuries have been reported, and no homes have been damaged at this time.
Four engines, three wildland engines, 11 tankers, five dozers and two helicopters are active, and that the fire is located at the 7,000-foot elevation. (Photo courtesy DLNR)
Emergency Proclamations
Serving as acting governor, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke signed an Emergency Proclamation Thursday morning in response to the ongoing Crater Road Fire.
The governor's proclamation authorizes the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to help in emergency response efforts. It also allows the Adjutant General to activate the Hawaii National Guard.
Meanwhile, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen signed his own Emergency Proclamation in response to the fire. This proclamation allows the county to access federal assistance programs, including funds for emergency response efforts.
Rep. Kyle Yamash*ta, D-12 Upcountry Maui, issued a statement, saying he is closely monitoring the situation, urging area residents to sign up for Maui County alerts, and praising Luke for "swiftly signing an emergency proclamation in the early morning."
(Map courtesy of the Hawaii Tourism Authority)
Potential Evacuations
As of 10:35 a.m. Thursday, Unified Command was established between MEMA, Maui Police Department, Maui Fire Department and Haleakala National Park. The Maui Emergency Management Agency Emergency Operations Center was partially activated as well.
Maui County officials assessed the conditions were improving, and therefore lifted the advisory that had been issued for residents above Kekaulike and Haleakala highways between Upper Kimo and Waipoli roads. Although evacuations are not expected, residents are still advised to monitor radio, T.V. and movle devices for official information. The next advisory is expected Friday morning.
If the spread of the fire is expected to hit a residential area, requiring an evacuation, then an alert will be sent two-hours in advance, according to MEMA Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett, who spoke at a news conference on Thursday at 12 p.m. A follow-up notification will be sent one-hour in advance.
“We will use every tool in our arsenal to communicate to the public to give you guys time and information and keep everybody safe,” said Lonokailua-Hewett.
The 2-hour alerts will be sent via MEMA notifications and the County communications. Lonokailua-Hewett encouraged everyone to sign-up for MEMA notifications.
MFD and a 27-person Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s wildland crew worked on the area throughout the day. (Photo courtesy DLNR)
Road Closures
The fire has caused road closures. The closures include Crater Road at mile marker 2 and between mile markers 8 and 10.
Haleakala National Park
Maui County has closed Haleakala National Park until further notice, because of the fire. Due to the closure, access to sunrise viewing and the campgrounds at Hosmer’s Grove are closed.
“The crater fire, as of noon, is burning about a mile from the park entrance in the summit district,” said Haleakala National Park Chief Ranger Ari Wong, who spoke at the news conference on Thursday.
On Thursday morning, park rangers, along with Maui Police Department and Maui Fire Department personnel, evacuated about 200 vehicles from the Hosmer Grove campground.
As of Thursday early afternoon, park rangers are evacuating 12 staff members who live in the park.
“We're just doing that out of an abundance of caution and to take some of the pressure off of Maui Fire to make sure that they aren't needing to access Crater Road,” said Wong.
Water Information
Maui County's Department of Water Supply reports that the Crater Road fire is far uphill relative to their water system, so there are no concerns about the safety of the Upcountry drinking water.
Mental Health Concerns
Trevor Davis, Department of Health Maui Behavioral Health Wildfire Response Project Director, said at Thursday’s news conference many Maui residents may be triggered, frightened, or saddened by the Crater Road Fire, as it comes less than a year after the devastating Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.
“We want to make sure that everyone remembers that we are a connected community, and we work together to watch out for each other, stick together and make sure that we're avoiding any kind of difficult behaviors,” said Davis. “There are times when these kinds of events can trigger depression, aggressive episodes, increased substance use. It can actually trigger physical illness, and it's all just stress that is complicated because of what has happened previously.”
In order to manage fire-related stress, Davis recommended people focus on their daily routines. He also said people should stay up to date through the news, but to “take breaks” when it’s not necessary.
“One of the things that you can do is try and break any kind of problematic situations that come up, as a result of this event, into smaller issues, and try and find just one simple solution to move forward. Make sure that you're making time with your family and with your friends to engage in healthy and meaningful activities where you can. It is important to stay focused on positive coping, making sure you're breathing when you need to, that you're engaging and connecting with nature, that you're listening to music, that you're doing the stuff that you would normally do to try and cope through the stress of any normal day. But this is not a normal day. This is a more stressful day,” said Davis.
He also said to reach out for help, including talking to mental health and substance use providers on Maui, accessing the behavioral health clinics in Lahaina, Kahului and Wailuku, and using community providers.
The Warm Line, which is a support line run by crisis clinicians, can be reached by calling 808-446-4666
Specific resources are listed on the Maui Recovers website.
Editor's note: This story was updated after Thursday's 8 p.m. news statement from the County of Maui. (July 12, 2024).
