During busy fire season, Kula residents hope months of land clearing will pay dividends

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Kula residents anxiously watched Friday as the Crater Road Fire continued to burn in Upcountry Maui — fueled by wind, weeds and invasive trees.

The blaze intensified Thursday night with hot spots in a eucalyptus grove.

Many of the residents nearby had to evacuate on Aug. 8, 2023 as flames ripped through the area.

Since then, they’ve taken steps to protect their properties by clearing the surrounding land of flammable plants. “Keeping your growth down, and don’t let things get out of control,” said Mark Gregg, a Kula resident whose home used to be surrounded by a wattle forest that is now cleared.

Kula resident Mark Ross pulls young wattle plants daily from his property on Kualono Place. Ross’ home burned in the fires last year. Ahead of rebuilding, he is keeping the area manicured.

Maui Wildfires

“All of these invasive weeds need to be taken care of,” Ross said, adding his property was once surrounded by flammable eucalyptus and wattle trees. His lot now has 360-degree views.

Some of the trees burned in the fire, others were damaged and fell to the bottom of the gulch.

Residents hope cleaning the area will starve any future fires that ignite nearby.