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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
163 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, some of our nation’s most devastating fires have been the result of lingering hotspots reigniting; and
WHEREAS, the Oakland Hills fire of 1991
which destroyed over 2,500 structures, the 2021 Boulder County fire which was
the most destructive fire in Colorado’s history, and the 2023 Lahaina fire
which was the deadliest fire in the United States in over a century, were each
caused by the reignition of earlier, seemingly quelled blazes; and
WHEREAS, worsening drought conditions and more severe weather events associated with strong wind gusts intensify the risk of wildfire and increase the difficulty of firefighting efforts; and
WHEREAS,
having clear definitions related to wildfire stages when communicating with the
public and for internal guidelines for fire operations and suppression actions,
formal reporting, and fire safety regulations would allow for cohesion in
understanding of terminology and the execution of appropriate protocols; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the State Fire Council work together to clearly define stages of wildfire suppression and related efforts in the Hawaii State Fire Code; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following terms are included in
defined terminology: “uncontrolled”, “contained”, “controlled”, “extinguished”,
and “fully extinguished”; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the
definition of “fully extinguished” include the necessitation of constant
monitoring to ensure the absence of hotspots or smoke for a minimum of
forty-eight hours, and under red flag warning or drought conditions, ninety-six
hours; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the State Fire Marshal, State Fire Council, county fire chiefs, each county’s Fire Prevention Bureau, President of the Hawaii State Senate, and Speaker of the Hawaii State House of Representatives.