LAHAINA, Hawaii — Arborists, landscapers and other tree experts are cautioning Maui residents alarmed by the August wildfires to be judicious when considering whether to chop down non-hazardous trees on their properties.
What You Need To Know
- Reacting to inaccurate or misleading social media posts, some Maui homeowners believe they need to clear healthy trees that are in close proximity to their homes
- An estimated 20,000 trees were lost to the fires
- Healthy, viable trees can enhance environmental health and mitigate fire risk
- The Lahaina Treescape Restoration Project focuses on saving and maintaining native trees, which it says are typically more fire-resistant than introduced species
Reacting to inaccurate or misleading social media posts, some Maui homeowners believe they need to clear healthy trees close to their homes.
However, healthy, viable trees actually enhance environmental health and can mitigate fire risk, according to Jake Kane, owner of Kane’s Legacy Tree Services.
In a news release issued by the Department of Land and Natural Resources on Wednesday, Kane said trees function as effective filters.
“Properly maintained trees in the right spots don’t pose a fire hazard,” he said. “A lot of the trees that burned caught fire because the house was on fire. Trees are not necessarily entry points for fire to your home.”
According to Kane, an estimated 20,000 trees were lost to the fires.
Duane Sparkman, who is coordinating the Lahaina Treescape Restoration Project, agreed.
“A lot of folks are getting very reactive right now,” Sparkman said in the release. “They’re going and cutting down trees thinking that trees will burn their house. What we’re finding is the house burned the tree. We’re trying to get people to understand to keep your trees big, maintain the shade load, keep moisture on it, and clean the dry stuff off the ground, like leaf piles.”
Sparkman said proper upkeep can make trees protective rather than hazardous. By keeping the base and lower areas of the tree free from dead or dry material, homeowners can prevent fire from “climbing the ladder” toward the top and instead create a large shade layer to cool the surrounding area.
Sparkman’s group focuses on saving and maintaining native trees, which are typically more fire-resistant than introduced species.
“To be honest, if we can change a town’s heat load, change the humidity factor with the presence of healthy, viable trees, we can prevent fires, or at least slow down their movement,” he said. “That’s the future we’re all aiming for.”
Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.
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https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/news/2023/10/12/experts-advise-lahaina-homeowners-to-save-healthy-trees
