Mayor Kawakami signs Bill 2961, strengthening wildfire safety in West Kaua‘i plantation camp communities
LĪHU‘E – On Monday, Sept. 8, Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami signed into law Bill No. 2961, an ordinance passed unanimously by the Kaua‘i County Council to advance wildfire mitigation in West Kaua‘i’s plantation camp districts.
This includes Kaumakani Village and Kaumakani Avenue, Numila, and Ka‘āwanui, with additional coastal managed-retreat provisions for Pākalā Camp. The ordinance embeds fire mitigation, home-hardening, and defensible-space standards into Plantation Camp codes and updates the West Kaua‘i Community Plan implementing ordinance to reflect these wildfire protections.
“Mahalo to the Kaua‘i County Council, our Planning Department, the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization, Headwaters Economics, Kaua‘i Fire Department, the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency, and—most importantly—our community for helping shape this ordinance,” said Mayor Kawakami. “This is about keeping families safe, protecting historic plantation neighborhoods, and doing the simple, proven things that reduce risk before a spark becomes a disaster.”
Bill No. 2961 is the first Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) ordinance in the state of Hawai‘I to formally tie wildfire safety into zoning and permitting processes, ensuring that risk reduction is a built-in part of development and property maintenance.
“Today’s action integrates safety into the code for plantation camps. The WUI standards are now part of permitting and maintenance, and they focus on the built environment as well as the fuels that cause fast-moving fires—guinea grass, haole koa, and buffel grass,” Planning Director Ka‘āina Hull said. “We’ll lead with education and outreach, and, in line with the ordinance, formal complaints from the Fire Chief will trigger enforcement where needed so we can direct resources where they will have the most impact.”
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Monday between the County of Kaua‘i, Headwaters Economics, and the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization to ensure further collaboration on wildfire mitigation efforts.
“The bill signed today helps make Kaua‘i a leader in the nation when it comes to protecting communities from wildfire,” said representatives with Headwaters Economics. “Headwaters Economics is honored to join forces with Kaua‘i County and the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization so that local communities can make informed decisions that will reduce wildfire risk and protect lives, homes, and cultural resources.”
Bill No. 2961 introduces new wildfire safety regulations for Plantation Camps to enhance the safety of homes and families. The changes call for a 5-foot clear zone immediately around houses, with no flammable items, safer spacing, and regular upkeep of plants within 30 feet, as well as low, well-maintained vegetation up to 100 feet. Homes will also need fire-resistant roofs, ember-proof vents, stronger windows, and screened crawl spaces. These updates are designed to protect the camps’ historic character while making them more fire-safe for the community.
“This ordinance puts practical tools in people’s hands—simple steps like a noncombustible five-foot zone, covered metal gutters, ember-resistant vents, and well-kept defensible space have proven to save homes encountering showers of wind-driven fire embers, which is crucial during Red Flag Warning events,” Kaua‘i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson. “We’ll continue working with HWMO, landowners, and residents of Kaumakani, Numila, Ka‘āwanui, and Pākalā to put these standards into daily practice and keep our communities safer.”
HWMO has long partnered with the County of Kaua‘i on consultation and planning. Their expertise helped shape the technical elements of the ordinance.
“This ordinance is a breakthrough in making wildfire safety part of everyday planning, design, and property care,” said Elizabeth Pickett, Co-Executive Director of the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization. “It’s about embedding risk reduction into how we build, how we landscape, and how we protect our communities from the start—especially in places as special and vulnerable as our plantation camps. We’re proud to support Kaua‘i’s leadership and look forward to continued work with partners and residents to become more wildfire-ready and wildfire-resilient.”
The ordinance is effective immediately, applying to all new development applications in Plantation Camp Districts.
To learn more, you can view Bill 2961 here: https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/attachment/3538410/Bill_No._2961.pdf.
Link to photos and videos of today’s bill signing: Bill 2691 photos and videos.
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