Fire breaks are implemented as both a preventative fuel management measure and in active suppression efforts to provide a break in fuel which both slows the fire spread and allows crews to access the fire edge more easily. Also, large windbreaks help slow fire’s advance especially in high wind areas such as Launiupoko and Olowalu.
Green Firebreaks, a complimentary strategy, are planted strips of fire resistant vegetation that are strategically placed in the landscape to reduce or stop fire spread. The aim of this approach is also to increase ecosystem resilience within fire prone landscapes especially under the reality of climate change.
Green Firebreaks are best positioned along an anticipated fire’s path, in our case the greatest danger is from high wind-driven fires uphill or mauka of our properties. It is also important to position them along perimeters of property that border wildland invasive grasses and shrubs such as Buffelgrass and Haole Koa. These Green Firebreaks should be continuous enough and wide enough (typically 30 feet) to impede the fire’s progression.
In choosing vegetation to plant along these perimeters It’s not just the water content, drought tolerance, and fire resistance of the plant that is important, but also the lack of dropping debris. Therefore you should avoid woody shrubs that drop a lot of flammable litter such as bougainvillea, but also palms and resinous trees like conifers or pines.
Here are some of the best plants to consider for a property’s defensive band (some of the very best are underlined):
- Ground Cover (natives)
- Myoporum parvifolium
- Ihi
- Naupaka
- Pohinahina (Vitex rotundifolia)
- Ground Cover (non-native)
- All varieties of Ice plant and succulents
- Aptenia Cordifolia (Hearts and Flowers)
- Sweet potato vines
- All Agaves
- All Aloe
- Creeping Lantana
- Myoporum
- Wadillia
- Native Shrubs
- ʻĀweoweo (Chenopodium oahuensis)
- Naio (Myoporum sandwicense)
- Akia
- Ohia Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)
- Uluhe Fern (Dicranopteris linearis)
- Naio (Myoporum sandwicense)
- Mamane (Sophora chrysophylla)
- Aalii (Dodonaea viscosa)
- Trees and Windbreaks
- Bananas ( best fire resistance)
- Podocarpus (best windbreak)
- Citrus
- Olive
- Koa
West Maui Wildfire Readiness Ohana 
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