Crews rappel ravine for ‘wipe out wattle,’ fire-prone tree clearing near cliffside homes
As fire season begins
By ‘A’ali’i Dukelow
Click here for updates on this story
MAUI, Hawaii (KITV) — As fire season begins, conservationists on Maui are removing fire-prone trees near upcountry homes impacted by the 2023 fires.
The effort is not as simple as it may sound, as clearing invasive wattle trees along cliffside Kula homes is not just about chopping trees. Because of the steep terrain, crews must rappel down a gulch to cut down hard-to-reach wattles.
“It’s the same species of tree that really fueled the fires back in 2023 up here, and it’s posing another fire hazard,” said Sara Tekula of the Kula Community Watershed Alliance, which is leading the removal, called “Wipe Out Wattle.”
The group’s goal is to eradicate the aggressively regrowing trees across 15 acres of the ravine that borders 46 burned properties.
On Monday, crews were anchored to fire survivor David Darling’s rebuilt home, after his house of 16 years burned in the blaze.
“The rebuilding was one thing, but clearing this wattle out of here is just another whole adventure. (The removal is) good for safety, good for the longevity of the gulch, get some natives (plants) growing in here,” Darling shared.
The alliance plans to replace the wattle with native plants such as ‘A’ali’i and ‘Ohi’a, which Tekula said will help rehabilitate the burn scar area and shield the home ignition zone.
“That’s about a 30-ish foot window around your home where you want to make sure you don’t have a lot of flammable material. Wattle is highly flammable,” Tekula explained.
“Wipe out the Wattle” is a part of a $2 million comprehensive plan to restore the watershed, and prevent fires. The initial work is priced at about $60,000, funded through grants, private sources, and partnerships.
“We’re kind of doing the hard part now, all in, but the idea is that it gets easier over time and healthier watershed over time,” Tekula added.
The alliance’s multi-phased, years-long plan includes installing a 1.5 mile-long fence on the opposite side of the gulch to protect the area and new native plants from axis deer.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
