Hawaiʻi Wildfire Risk Reduction Program / Firewise

The Hawaiʻi Wildfire Risk Reduction Program and Firewise Communities Program together empower neighborhoods and high-risk regions to take proactive, science-based steps to reduce wildfire danger. As the state’s only community-driven fire preparedness program—and one that is rapidly expanding—it lacks consistent funding despite its proven impact. Strengthened investment would support cross-boundary collaboration, enabling communities, landowners, and agencies to plan and implement mitigation, outreach, and fuels-reduction projects at the scale today’s wildfire risks demand. These programs deliver measurable results, from acres of hazardous vegetation removed to improved evacuation readiness and documented reductions in community exposure. By building community capability and advancing coordinated, landscape-level mitigation, they directly contribute to Hawaiʻi’s statewide climate adaptation and resilience goals.