A Month for Disaster

There is a meme running around that relates all too well at the moment…

Smoke Over Waikoloa
Smoke from an approaching wildfire stains the skies over Waikoloa

Worst month ever!
What do you mean this is only the 1st?

Anonymous social media meme

This month is only four days old and we are quite ready to agree with whomever coined that meme.

Sunday, August first started out peaceful enough. I was looking forward to a relaxing day with a few chores about the house. The only nagging worry was keeping tabs on the large brushfire raging towards Waimea, though it was many miles away. As the winds picked up this worry also intensified, to where I had to the local emergency radio feed streaming on the computer speakers.

When the fragmentary radio chatter from the fire units indicated that the fire had jumped Highway 130 I knew what was coming next… An evacuation of Waikoloa Village.

Continue reading “A Month for Disaster”

We Have an Arsonist Again

Well? How else do you explain three simultaneous brush fires spread out along several miles of highway? This happened a few times about six years ago.

This is this afternoon along the Mamalahoa Highway and the new Saddle Road just above Waikoloa. Just got the text message of the road closure.

Waikoloa Wildfires
Several wildfires spaced out along Mamalahoa Highway and the new Saddle Road on the afternoon of Feb 11, 2016.