Maui's Wildfire Policy

SOURCE www.npr.org
The destructive wildfire in Lahaina revealed major gaps in Maui's wildfire policy, prompting new rules for clearing flammable vegetation around homes. Efforts are being made to reduce wildfire risk, but more investment and top-down support are needed. Some residents are advocating for transforming the landscape to make it less flammable.

Key Points

  • Residents are adopting new rules to create defensible space around homes.
  • More investment and top-down support are needed to effectively reduce wildfire risk.
  • Advocates are pushing for a transformation of the landscape to make it less flammable.

Pros

  • New rules are being implemented to clear flammable vegetation around homes to reduce wildfire risk.

Cons

  • Only a handful of the 50 recommendations made in a post-fire report from a Hawaii legislative working group have been implemented so far.