[CPEO-MEF] Fire scars key habitats

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Hawai'i
HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN
Fire scars key habitats
A Makua military burn gone awry chars homes of rare species
By Gregg K. Kakesako and Diana Leone
gkakesako@starbulletin.com, dleone@starbulletin.com
July 24, 2003

Government biologists said a brush fire that scorched more than half of
the Makua Military Reservation this week appears to have burned areas
listed as critical habitat to endangered plants and animals.

Environmentalists also complained that the brush fire demonstrates the
inadequacies of the Army's fire management plan.

Army spokeswoman Maj. Stacy Bathrick said that as of 8 p.m. yesterday,
the fire was contained, and firefighters would spend today mopping up
hot spots using helicopters making water drops.

Col. David Anderson, U.S. Army Hawaii Garrison commander said the Army
started what was supposed to be a controlled burn of 500 acres at 11:30
a.m. on Tuesday in Kahanahaiki Valley, one of two valleys that make up
the reservation.

But by midafternoon "the wind picked up and changed direction," Anderson
said, "and (the fire) got away from us. It moved along the northern wall
and climbed up at least two-thirds of the valley's walls."

Anderson acknowledged yesterday that despite the Army's preparations and
safeguards, the fire that was supposed to only clear training areas in
Makua Valley got out of control and destroyed nearly 2,500 of the
training area's 4,190 acres.

This article can be viewed at:
http://starbulletin.com/2003/07/24/news/story4.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~