Governor Josh Green, M.D.

STATE OF HAWAI‘I

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

 

HAWAI‘I DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

KA ʻOIHANA PILI KAUA

OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

MAJOR GENERAL STEPHEN F. LOGAN

ADJUTANT GENERAL

KA ʻAKUKANA KENELALA

BRIGADIER GENERAL PHILLIP L. MALLORY

DEPUTY ADJUTANT GENERAL

KA HOPE ʻAKUKANA KENELALA

 

 

HAWAIʻI NATIONAL GUARD PROVIDING HELICOPTERS FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION ON KUNIA FIRE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 20, 2025

#2025-005

KUNIA, HAWAIʻI ­­­­­­­­­— The Hawai‘i National Guard has two helicopters assisting the Honolulu Fire Department with fire suppression on the Kunia Road fire. A UH-60 Blackhawk and a CH-47 Chinook started their support yesterday and were making water drops until 7 o’clock last night. Yesterday, they made a combined 39 drops totaling about 49-thousand gallons of water. As of 4:00 PM today they have made a combined 35 drops totaling over 80-thousand gallons of water.

The aircrews were faster to respond than usual because Governor Josh Green, M.D., Commander in Chief of the Hawai‘i National Guard, signed an emergency proclamation on July 18, 2025, authorizing the Guard to keep an aircrew ready to provide aerial firefighting capabilities to augment county and state level first responder elements. This initiative is called Operation Hoʻopauahi (to extinguish fire).

Operation Hoʻopauahi keeps a Hawaiʻi Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopter crew postured to fly and immediately support any county in the state, which increases capacity to contain and extinguish a fire in its early stage.

The Hawaiʻi National Guard is not sure if the additional support will be needed for a third day. That call will be made later today or early tomorrow morning.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and the Hawaiʻi National Guard are in direct communication with the County of Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi, and the Federal Fire Department. The Hawaiʻi National Guard stands ready to provide additional support when and if needed.

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Media contact:

Maj. (Ret.) Jeffrey D. Hickman

Director, Public Affairs

State of Hawai‘i Department of Defense

Office: 808-441-7000

Direct: 808-779-8008

Email: [email protected]