Windward Planning Commission weighs fate of Falls on Fire Festival

Neighbors along Indian Tree Road in Papaikou are asking Hawaii County to decide whether a fire festival that has already triggered enforcement, fines and years of complaints should be allowed to return every November on the Hamakua Coast.

The Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission was set to weigh Andrew Tepper’s Falls on Fire Festival on Thursday, May 15, 2026, with the proposal now carrying the weight of a contested case hearing and a broader fight over land use, noise and rural quality of life north of Hilo. The Burning Man-inspired gathering has been held each November for the past three years on Tepper’s 1,400-acre property, drawing hundreds of attendees to a mix of fire dancing, live music, art installations, workshops and a ceremonial burning of a symbolic effigy.

That annual spectacle has also come with a paper trail. County files show the 2023 event had 111 registered attendees. The 2024 event drew more than 200 guests and was held Nov. 8 to Nov. 11, 2024, even after the county warned Tepper not to proceed before securing a special permit. The county later imposed fines totaling $34,000 for the 2023 and 2024 violations, and Tepper is appealing those penalties while arguing the festival does not need a special use permit.

His application seeks authorization for an annual four-day festival with overnight camping for up to 500 people, plus commercial vehicle storage on about 14 to 14.7 acres of a larger parcel in the State Land Use Agricultural District. County Planning Director Jeff Darrow said the Planning Department recommended approval, though that position could change as the case moves through the commission.

Opponents James McMahon and Lichun Huang asked for a contested case hearing, raising concerns about traffic, road conditions and noise from the growing event. Supporter Harry Holm told commissioners that similar festivals already exist elsewhere on Hawaii Island and said Falls on Fire had not caused major problems. Tepper has said he wants the matter to be “kosher,” but he has also maintained the festival should not require a special permit.

The dispute now reaches beyond one festival. Separate reporting says Tepper has acquired more than 14,000 acres in Papaikou since 2021 and may be among Hawaii’s largest landowners, a scale that has sharpened scrutiny of how one operator is reshaping a stretch of the Hamakua Coast. The commission’s decision will determine whether county government treats Falls on Fire as a permitted cultural event or a repeat nuisance that neighbors say has already pushed the limits.