{"id":2622,"date":"2026-07-15T09:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2622"},"modified":"2026-07-15T09:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:05:11","slug":"terrified-waikoloa-residents-demand-better-escape-plan-following-wildfire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2622","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Terrified\u2019 Waikoloa residents demand better escape plan following wildfire"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Frightened by a 200-acre wildfire last Friday, residents in a West Hawaii community expressed frustration over the county\u2019s current evacuation system. <\/p>\n

Read more Hawaii\u2019s largest public workers union campaigns against veteran senator<\/a><\/p>\n

During a meeting Tuesday night to discuss ideas for a better escape plan, Waikoloa Village residents said they are \u201cterrified for our lives. We are scared that we are going to burn to death with fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency contracted KLD Associates to conduct a traffic study exploring potential improvements for evacuating the area.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

After the consulting firm presented the study\u2019s results, the conversation veered from evacuation routes to the county\u2019s response during Friday\u2019s fire, which broke out south of Waikoloa Road at around 4:20 p.m. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat upset me was that my phone didn\u2019t ding to tell me there was a fire in the village until 5:01,\u201d another resident said. <\/p>\n

The angered community members were not visible in a Zoom call of the meeting, but their concerns were loud and clear, and so was an official\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, but you people need to just settle down, just calm down. The study is the study,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n

Before the spirited question and answer portion, Rebecca Cohen of KLD pointed out the estimated evacuation time for the area would take more than four and a half hours, using an animation to demonstrate how congested the routes can get.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite some time. Again, I want to point out, that does not mean that you\u2019re going to sit in your car for 4 hours and 35 minutes, that\u2019s the time it takes for the last vehicle to exit the area,\u201d Cohen said.<\/p>\n

Read more Judge orders new environmental review for Turtle Bay project<\/a><\/p>\n

To clear out the community more quickly, the study considers adding another lane on Waikoloa Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only really one way in and out of the village,\u201d longtime resident Earl Betts said.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

But instead of adding more roadway, which many residents support, KLD determined a better option would be closures on Queen Kaahumanu Highway, similar to the ones during the Ironman triathlon. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you stop traffic on Queen K, you don\u2019t need to add another lane, you\u2019re going to reduce the evacuation time by an hour, that could mean life or death,\u201d Cohen added.<\/p>\n

The county opens an evacuation route from Hulu Street to the highway during emergencies, and residents want it open at all times just in case.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be in an emergent situation and then try to move 10,000 people out of one highway, seems ridiculous and dangerous to me,\u201d Betts argued.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Cohen said KLD\u2019s document is not decisive, but a guide to help the county plan and secure funding. <\/p>\n

County officials at the meeting said they would relay attendees\u2019 concerns to the mayor\u2019s office. <\/p>\n

Read more Prosecutor details moments leading up to deadly 2025 Makaha shooting<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During a meeting Tuesday night to discuss ideas for a better escape plan, Waikoloa Village residents said they are \u201cterrified for our lives. 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