Residents on Oahu’s westside say it is only a matter of time before the next big brush fire sweeps through the area.
Shermaih “Bulla”la runs a farm at the top of Waianae Valley Road.
In 2018, he lost almost everything in a brush fire.
“The whole farm got destroyed along with all the other tenants’ farms,” he said. Now, he’s removing vegetation to create a “fire break” that stops the flames from spreading. Iaea said goats are just one resource he uses because they eat away at the brush that fuels the fire’s spread.
“I can’t move forward unless I can protect my farm from the fire,” he said.
The project is being funded by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization.
State Sen. Maile Shimabukuro said residents are taking the threat of brush fires seriously.