Hawai’i county makes strides in wildfire resilience
Kaua’i County in Hawai’i is considering the adoption of Wildfire and Wildland Urban Interface (WWUI) standards for the island-wide building code.
In a new bill, Bill 2998, presented to the Kaua’i County Council Planning Committee, would reinforce building hardening for all new construction in the area.
Following the devastating Lahaina fires in 2023, reports show that embers persisted through combustible roofs, vents and windows.
While WWUI standards will likely increase the price of new home construction, it would also provide insurers with proven risk reduction.
“AIA Hawai’i supports the goal of Bill 2998 to make Kaua’i communities more resilient to wildfire, and we appreciate the County’s willingness to engage the design and construction community as this important legislation has developed,” said AIA Hawai’i President Melani Islam to Aloha State Daily. “We’re encouraged to see several of the issues we raised reflected in the current bill, including greater attention to defensible space and landscape management, homeowner education, maintenance of wildfire-resistant conditions, and flexibility for certain multifamily and shared-wall development.
The Kaua’i County Council Planning Committee is still considering the bill and will discuss it in its September meeting.
