Remote automatic weather stations (RAWS) have been installed recently in Lahaina in areas with invasive grasses that can be vulnerable to wildfires.
The technology enables the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) to collect data to predict fire behavior and monitor fire-stoking fuels.
These stations collect data — including precipitation, wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, fuel moisture, and solar radiation — for rangers and firefighters.
There are two stations in Lahaina, and one is above Ma’alaea.
RAWS data is collected hourly and transmitted to a satellite, which then sends it to a computer at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho.
The data is helpful for wildland fire management and rating fire danger.