Brush cleared after homes destroyed in Kihei fire

Landscape changes since central Kihei July fire

9/2/18 #kihei

It was suspected that mishandled fireworks were at fault for the blaze which destroyed two homes and damaged four other homes in central Kihei this past July.  There was overgrown brush along the fence-line of these single-family homes. This neighborhood is near the adjoining North-South Collector Road (NSCR) corridor.  Some questioned why the dangerous conditions of extremely dry brush and scrubland had been allowed in the first place.

Almost two months later we see a vast modification of the entire corridor where the fire occurred. The shrubbery is cut back and kept low. You can see the changes across the Waipuilani River gulch toward Kulanihakoi, as well as mauka  side of the gulch toward the highway.

One perspective is that the land maintenance should have been done by the county administration before the fire. However, current maintenance does indicate lesson learned and mitigation is taken to strongly hinder any repetition or reoccurrence.

Looking North, only growth remaining mauka the corridors is well watered by neighbors

Overview of a portion of the riverbed between corridor and highway