Scientists at the University of Hawaii have developed new wildfire risk maps to better predict fire danger across the state. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Hawaii State Legislature provided funding to create the fire ignition probability maps.
Real-time weather data
Unlike the current Red Flag Warning system, which relies on weather from a limited number of stations, these maps provide a daily, high-resolution look at the most current fire ignition risks statewide. The maps are generated using real-time data obtained from various weather networks across the state, including the Hawaii Mesonet. The Hawaii Mesonet currently consists of over 60 advanced weather stations with a total goal of 100 within the next two years.
Prof. Sayed Bateni of UH Mānoa’s Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) and Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, said, “This new mapping system gives us a clearer, more detailed picture of wildfire risks across Hawaii. By providing daily updates and a long-term dataset, we hope to improve preparedness and help protect communities from future fires. The next step is to do real-time monitoring of vegetation humidity, and the next step is to install AI-based cameras to detect the smoke. So all of these technologies together can help us a lot to prevent wildfires or reduce the impact of wildfires.”
Publicly available on the Hawaii Climate Data Portal (HCDP), the maps can be accessed by communities and emergency responders to alert them to the risk of potential wildfires. Users are able to zoom into a particular area to assess the current fire risk and generate customized packages of data to export from the portal. Historical fire risk maps are also available for the past 20 years. According to the researchers, the data collected can also be used for water resource management, agriculture, ranching, ecosystem and cultural resource protection and more.
Protecting against extreme weather
“It’s all about improving preparedness, especially in light of recent disasters like the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and the tragic Lahaina fire,” said Tom Giambelluca, retired UH Mānoa professor of geography and environment, former director of the WRRC and leader of the Hawaii Mesonet. “With real-time data on factors like soil moisture, we can better identify areas at high risk for wildfires or flooding. The Hawaii Mesonet is adding high-quality weather observations in places where they are most needed.”
“This mapping system is a game-changer for wildfire preparedness in Hawaii,” said Clay Trauernicht, assistant specialist in the UH Mānoa Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. “Using current data allows us to better anticipate fire risks and take proactive measures to protect communities.”
In related news, the University of Hawaii and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) recently installed an advanced network of 100 weather monitoring stations across Hawaii to strengthen the state’s flood and wildfire early warning systems. Click here to read the full story.
