The County’s Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has completed the Ukumehame Mile Marker 13.5 Wildfire Risk Reduction Project, clearing hazardous wildfire fuel across approximately 42 acres of County of Maui land off Honoapiʻilani Highway. The area has experienced a dozen fires in the past two years and is a critical route in and out of Lahaina.
MEMA Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett said the project marks a major advancement in public safety by reducing wildfire hazards along the corridor.
Administrator Lonokailua-Hewett said: “The completion of the Ukumehame Mile Marker 13.5 Wildfire Risk Reduction Project marks a significant step toward safeguarding our community. We commend the dedication and teamwork that made this effort possible, and we extend our sincere gratitude to our Maui, state, federal and private partners whose collaboration and support were essential to restoring and protecting this vulnerable area. Their commitment reflects the shared responsibility we all carry in building a more resilient Maui.”
The project established a defensible wildfire space by clearing and mulching invasive vegetation and removing extensive hazardous fuels and debris. In total, crews removed:
- 176.17 tons of solid waste
- 76.38 tons of scrap metal
- 2.51 tons of recycled metal
- 13 tons of damaged EV batteries
- 1,226 tires
- 34 Freon and non-Freon appliances
- 123 vehicles
- 35 non-EV batteries
- 10 drums of waste oil
- Two boats
- A front-end loader
- An excavator
Administrator Lonokailua-Hewett noted that the scale of the project, completed on 28 November 2025, required extensive cooperation across county, state and federal agencies, supported by key private contractors. Work began on 4 August 2025.
MEMA is now developing a maintenance plan to ensure continued wildfire mitigation at the site. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, is also scheduled to begin a wetland restoration project there in summer 2026.
For more information on MEMA’s hazard mitigation work, visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/mema.
