DLNR News Release: Debunking Tree-Cutting Advisories After Maui Wildfires
Posted on October 11, 2023 in Department Latest News, Newsroom
(FRONT, LEFT) – Experts are encouraging residents across the state to preserve valuable trees around their homes, contrary to misinformation circulating in the wake of the Maui wildfires. Healthy, viable trees, especially native varieties, improve environmental health and help mitigate fire risk.
For three days, Jake Kane saw billows of smoke and smoke after the Aug. 8 wildfire ignited. The mulch was used in his work as the owner of Kane’s Legacy Tree Services. Days after the fire that ravaged Lāhainā, Maui County firefighters were still pouring thousands of gallons over stubborn, charred layers of mulch.
That was the most visible sign of what he lost, but there was much more. “We lost our entire two-acre yard at the corner of Lāhainā Bypass and Hokiokio Street. Seven trucks, three shredders, two trailers, a backhoe, a skid steer, a tractor and a bathroom crusher” , Kane said. An employee who lived at the property escaped with only the shirt on his back.
Despite all that, Kane is helping out as one of the experts involved in the Lāhainā tree recovery efforts. He is also one of the volunteer arborists and landscape professionals who have received calls from homeowners who want to cut down all the trees around their homes.
At a spot just above the town of Lāhainā, Kane exclaimed, “No, no, you can’t really tell from here, but we’ve lost 20,000 or more trees in the fire. We need all the trees we can get now to keep our environment healthy. Trees are great filters. Well-maintained trees in the right places do not pose a fire hazard. Many of the trees that burned were caught on fire because the house was on fire. Trees are not necessarily points of fire entry into your home.
Social media posts after the fire seemed to fuel the idea and calls that people should cut down their trees. “We have been able to influence some people and we tell others that we are not interested in removing non-dangerous trees. If it’s the wrong tree in the wrong place, absolutely. Always replace with the right tree in the right place,” Kane added.
Duane Sparkman, who coordinates the Lāhainā Tree Escape Restoration Project, commented, “A lot of people are becoming very reactive right now. They’re cutting down trees thinking the trees will burn down their house. What we’re finding is that the house burned down the tree. We’re trying to get people to understand to keep your trees big, keep the shade load, keep the moisture in, and clean the dry stuff off the ground, like leaves.”
He explained the concept of a fire escape. It consists of removing material that grows on a tree from the ground to the crown. It creates a large layer of nice shade and there is no place for embers to land and ignite the tree. It prevents him from going up the ladder.
The entire group working to save and restore Lāhainā’s urban forest is focusing on native trees that tend to be more resistant to fire than introduced species. It is not just about aesthetics but a necessity.
Sparkman said, “To be honest, if we can change the heat load of a city, change the moisture factor with the presence of healthy, viable trees, we can prevent fires or at least slow them down. This is the future we all aim for.”
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RESOURCES
(All images and videos courtesy: DLNR)
HD Video: Don’t Cut the Trees (Web Feature):
HD Video: Debunking Tree Removal Advice (September 29, 2023):
(Photo file/transcript attached)
Photographs – Lāhainā Treescape Restoration Project (September 29, 2023):
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sxnb7mgvvw0zmzdoncna3/h?rlkey=5ru78heiqybfohqie49vpc25u&dl=0
Contact with the media:
Dan Dennison
Director of Communication
(808) 587-0396
[email protected]
