Firewise for Homestead Communities

Through this project, HWMO will partner with the DHHL to expand wildfire education, outreach, and mitigation support for Native Hawaiian homestead communities statewide. Building on HWMO’s Firewise USA Program, this initiative will provide culturally grounded outreach, community hazard assessments and mitigation recommendations, and community workshops that empower residents to understand local wildfire risks and take practical steps to reduce them. Participating homesteads will also receive financial and technical assistance to plan and implement community-led mitigation projects, such as fuel reduction, greenbelt maintenance, and defensible space creation. By combining education with direct support, the project will strengthen long-term community capacity, promote wildfire-resilient homestead landscapes, and build a model for locally driven mitigation that aligns with DHHL’s mission to protect the safety and wellbeing of beneficiaries and their lands.