Fire at Lapakahi!

As I was approaching Lapakahi State Historical Park this afternoon from the south, I noticed a plume of white smoke being blown makai (seaward) as I was near Mile Post 12. The entrance to Lapakahi is at MP 14. As I got closer, I was pretty sure it was Lapakahi that was burning; my consolation was that the smoke was white which means steam. Which means someone was pouring water on the fire. As I crested the last low rise I saw that there was a fire truck near the entrance gate, spraying water on the makai side of the entrance road; Lapakahi was indeed on fire! There was a 2nd truck on the highway by the culvert also spraying water on the makai side of the road.

Near Mile Post 12, looking northerly at white smoke from fire at park.

Near entry gate, looking southerly at fire fighters working to put fire out.

I stopped on the opposite side of the road, took photos, & texted them to Dane. I then talked with the Hawaʻi Police Department officer who was directing traffic; he had me park on the Lapakahi side of the highway near his car & allowed me to speak with the firefighters. It appears the fire started at the roadside about 30 minutes before I came by. There were still some small hotspots near the highway & access road, and although the fire was still quite active in the vicinity, the visitor center appeared to be intact. I could not see Papa's Hale so I was not sure if it was still intact.

It looks like fire may have started near area at right edge of photo.

Looking northerly from near entrance gate.

From near entrance gate, looking westerly; visitor center near center of photo.

Fire truck at northerly edge of fire.

Helicopter doing water drop near visitor center.

Helicopter doing water drop along northwesterly edge of fire; Māhukona lighthouse in background.

By the time I left about an hour later, Wes, the captain on site, said the fire was contained & most if it had burned its way to the ocean. He said there were still  active spots on the edges that they were going to deal with throughout the evening. Wes also said they would be leaving at least one unit to keep any small remaining hotspots under control; there had been 10 trucks & 2 helicopters on site. When I returned about 2 hours later; there was hardly any smoke & most of the trucks & both helicopters were gone.

There may have been one casualty from the fire. I found a dead Gray Francolin when I stepped out of my car after I had reparked. And no, I did not run over it. I checked & found it was so fresh rigor mortis had not yet set in. It may have died from smoke inhalation since their go-to means of escape is running rather than flying. I found it about 50 feet downwind of the edge of the burning area. I hope it wasn't the differently-abled one that we have named Gimpy.

The fire at Lapakahi overshadowed the event that I was at earlier in the day. Very early! I was on the road at 5 a.m. in order to be at Hapuna by 6 to meet up with Dane. We needed to meet Tracy in Napoʻopoʻo by 8 for a coral restoration project led by the community group Kanu Koʻa.

One hour & 6 minutes before sunrise.

The Nature Conservancy had special permits to harvest coral chunks that had been broken off by a recent storm; they used it as an educational event involving the community. After pule to the appropriate gods and oli & hula about the ko'a (coral), the coral chunks were brought from the site of the damaged reef to the shore aboard a double-hulled wa'a (canoe). From the shoreline to the preparation tent, the container with the coral chunks was transferred hand-to-hand the same way the ancient Hawaiians moved rocks miles from their source to the final building destination.

The halau waits for the ceremony to begin.

Lining up to bring koʻa chunks to preparation tent.

At the preparation tent special band saws were set up for community members to help cut the koʻa chunks into smaller approximately 1" square pieces; the older dead parts on the bottom were also removed so the piece was about 1/2" thick. The pieces were carefully sorted so that all pieces from a chunk could be later placed together. 

Preparation tent.

Tracy cuts a piece of koʻa under watchful eye of biologist.

After the chunks were cut in to pieces, the trained biologists took the koʻa pieces back to the damaged reef area where spots had been prepared to receive the transplants. Special epoxy was applied to the prepared surface & a piece of koʻa was placed on the epoxy. Koʻa pieces from the same chunk were placed 1 to 2 cm apart, allowing them to grow together & form a larger koʻa head in a shorter amount of time; if pieces from different chunks were placed near each other they would not grow together unless they had the same genetics. Community participants snorkeled at the surface, watching the biologists work.

Transport box holding koʻa pieces ready for transplanting.

Overall it was a great collaborative event involving The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources (which is why we were there), Hoʻāla Kealakekua Nui, Hawaiʻi and Palmyra TNC, & the lineal descendants from the area & caretakers of the Hikiaʻu Heiau. Although just letting the trained biologists do the work would make for a much faster & more efficient process, involving the community provided for a great educational & community-building event. Dane & I left just after noon & headed back to Hapuna. I was intending on getting in a quick nap before dinner. Oh well. 🙄

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Paul, Greg, & Justine!