Kauaʻi to host statewide wildfire summit on preparedness and mitigation

Before the next fire season, Kauaʻi County will bring state and county agencies together on the island for a two-day summit aimed at tightening evacuation readiness, mitigation planning and interagency coordination. The Hawaiʻi Wildfire Summit 2026 is set for May 7 and 8, and the Kauaʻi Fire Department is inviting the public to register as officials push a statewide effort to strengthen wildfire readiness and resilience.

County leaders are framing the summit as more than a meeting. In an April 13 news release, Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility, and the county said the event is intended to protect communities, natural resources and one another. The timing matters for Kauaʻi, where wildfire planning has become a recurring part of emergency preparation as dry conditions and fast-moving fires remain a threat across the islands.

The summit is being hosted through a partnership that includes the Kauaʻi Fire Department, the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency and the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization, along with other state and county partners. The county said the event will bring together agencies, organizations and communities from across Hawaiʻi, underscoring that the work is meant to strengthen statewide resilience, not just island-by-island response. That broader focus is part of what officials say could make the summit useful before the next fire season hits.

The summit also comes after another round of mitigation planning on Kauaʻi. Community Wildfire Protection Plan workshops were rescheduled in early April after being canceled because of inclement weather, a reminder that wildfire preparation on the island is continuing on multiple tracks at once. With the summit approaching on May 7 and 8, officials will have a chance to turn planning into concrete coordination before the season turns hotter and drier.