Lieutenant governor issues emergency proclamation for Kokeʻe brush fire

In response to a quickly moving brush fire in Kōkeʻe, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, serving as Acting Governor, signed the Sixteenth Emergency Proclamation (EP) relating to wildfires today at 3:54 p.m.

Kaua‘i Fire Department firefighters were first dispatched to the brush fire off Kōkeʻe Road Thursday evening, July 18. While there was no active fire threat to any residences, county officials called for voluntary evacuations of the Kōke‘e and Waimea Canyon State Park areas at 2:30 p.m. Friday, as extended road closures could result in isolation for anyone beyond the roadblocks.

This proclamation authorizes the use of government resources to protect public health and safety, property and natural resources. It authorizes the Adjutant General to activate the Hawai‘i National Guard to deploy state resources, as needed, to aid in fire suppression and evacuation.
 
It also suspends laws that might impede or delay the execution of emergency functions.
 
A copy of the executed EP is linked and is posted on the Emergency Proclamations page on the governor’s website.