Civil Beat Covers Waikōloa's Evacuation Route Crisis
Honolulu Civil Beat published a feature story today examining a safety issue at the heart of our work: Waikōloa Village has a wildfire risk 92% higher than most communities in the country, and just two ways out.
Reporter Taylor Nāhulukeaokalani Cozloff spoke with WSA founder Matt Chalker and Director of Government Relations Bob Yunkhe about the years-long effort to secure a second evacuation route for our community and the obstacles that have blocked progress.
Read the full article here: https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/04/not-a-priority-frustrations-mount-over-missing-fire-evacuation-route-hawaii-island/
Matt Chalker and Bob Yunkhe of Wildfire Safety Advocates testified in front of the County Council last week. (Taylor Cozloff/Civil Beat/2026)
What the story covers:
The mayor's proposed $358.7 million capital improvement budget includes $11 million to support nearly 1,000 new affordable housing units in Waikōloa Village. It does not include any funding for evacuation infrastructure. A stalemate between the county and state over who is responsible for building the road connecting to Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway has prevented meaningful progress, even though the need for a second route has been formally documented since 2005.
During the 2021 Mana Road fire, residents were trapped in traffic for nearly two hours as smoke and flames moved closer to homes. More residents are moving in. The risk is not going away.
County officials have suggested it could take another decade for a second road to be realized. We believe the community deserves better than that, and the budget process happening right now is a critical opportunity to say so.
What you can do:
The Hawai'i County Council is actively reviewing the mayor's proposed budget this month (April - May 2026). Written testimony from community members carries weight. Join us on Wednesday, May 13th at 5:30 PM at the Waikōloa Village Association Community Room to learn how to submit testimony and ask your questions directly to Councilmember James Hustace, who will be in attendance.
We hope to see you there!
A dirt path bulldozed by the state could serve as an evacuation road for fires affecting Waikōloa Village. It runs near the paved county road that serves its wastewater plant. (Courtesy: Matt Chalker)