Fire Protection at Pōhakuloa Training Area, Hawaiʻi Island
In recent days, residents of Waikōloa Village and nearby areas have seen concerning reports on social media about fire protection at the Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA). Since wildfires are a known risk in this region of the island, it makes sense that these reports caused intense community concern.
Photo credit: Ku‘u Kauanoe/Civil Beat/2022
Why PTA Fire Protection Matters
Pōhakuloa Training Area sits in a large, remote, and fire-prone part of Hawaiʻi Island. Live-fire training, strong winds, dry plants, and few access roads make fire response in that area especially difficult.
For this reason, PTA has its own Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) team. They also work with Hawaiʻi County to help with fire and emergency response along parts of Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road). PTA staff are often first on the scene for accidents on Saddle Road and have helped a lot during past wildfires. So, any gap in coverage naturally gets public attention.
The Initial Reports
In mid-January 2026, a public post from the Federal Fire Fighters of Hawaiʻi stated that PTA Fire and Emergency Services had been “shut down” due to staffing shortages, with personnel placed on administrative leave. The post suggested this left a significant portion of Hawaiʻi Island without reliable fire protection during an active training period.
This message spread quickly within the community, prompting people to contact elected officials and agency leaders, including ourselves.
Clarification from PTA Leadership
After Wildfire Safety Advocates asked for answers, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Alvarado, Commander of U.S. Army Garrison at Pōhakuloa Training Area, explained the situation:
There was a short gap in coverage for one shift because of changes in supervisory staff.
The gap happened because of normal staff changes, like retirements and people leaving for other jobs. Many fire departments across the country face these same challenges.
Fire and emergency services at PTA are still operating. There was a brief shutdown, but services are ongoing.
In summary, staffing issues are real, but services have not stopped.
Response from State Leadership
State leaders took this situation seriously. Representative David Tarnas confirmed that he met with:
The Mayor of Hawaiʻi County
The Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources
The Director of HIEMA
The State Fire Marshal
Senior U.S. Indo-Pacific Command military leadership
Rep. Tarnas was glad that operations were back to normal, but he stressed that this kind of gap should never happen, especially with the risks of live-fire training. He also reiterated that fires originating at PTA should not be assigned to the Hawaiʻi County Fire Department due to a lack of federal staff. We are grateful for the leadership and initiative Representative Tarnas demonstrated in this matter.
The Bigger Picture
This situation brings several important points to light:
Wildfire risk is systemic, not hypothetical, in this region.
Staffing shortages affect fire departments at every level, from federal to state and county.
Clear and timely communication is essential during fast-moving public safety situations.
With ongoing lease talks between the State of Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Army, it is especially important to ensure operational readiness and clear service standards.
Moving Forward
We believe the most productive path forward includes:
Continued coordination between federal, state, and county agencies
Clear minimum staffing and capability requirements for fire protection at PTA
Open communication with the public when concerns arise
Accurate information lowers temperatures. Transparency builds trust. And wildfire safety ultimately affects all of us.
We will continue to monitor this issue and share updates as verified information becomes available.
Mahalo for taking the time to stay informed.
