Maui Land & Pineapple Joins Community to Launch Lahainaluna Firebreak Initiative
- Kristen Kunimura
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Lahainaluna Alumni, Hawaiian Electric and Maui Land & Pineapple Company (MLP) and Lahaina Excavation make meaningful contributions of time and donations to support historic school and provide peace of mind to the community.
A True Community Effort
Maui United Way organized efforts this past Saturday to protect one of its most treasured institutions: Lahainaluna High School (LHS) and the surrounding community. Recognized as the oldest school west of the Rockies, Lahainaluna holds deep cultural, educational and historic significance. Sitting upwind of Lahaina town, the campus needed a critical buffer against future wildfires, especially during this severe drought season.
Maui United Way brought together local alumni, community leaders and partners including Hawaiian Electric, Maui Land & Pineapple Company (MLP), Lahaina Excavation, and Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to launch the Lahainaluna Firebreak Initiative. With 70 community volunteers, many of them Lahainaluna graduates, and key community partners, nine acres of dry brush were cleared above campus, marking the launch of a long-term fire mitigation effort. MLP also helped create an emergency access road above Lahainaluna school. The workday was also supported by generous donations from Service Rentals, Mālama Maui Nui, and Home Depot, with refreshments donated by Tropic Water and meals provided by West Maui favorite, Nagasako’s.
Hawaiian Electric West Maui Community Liaison Mikey Burke said, “All the partners involved feel kuleana to Lahaina. The kāhea goes out and it’s answered immediately because of how much aloha we all have for Lahaina, for Maui, for our kaiāulu.”
“The outpouring of support from our community partners and volunteers shows the strength of our community. Great things can happen when we all work together to solve problems and meet needs,” said Interim CEO Jeeyun Lee. “As a West Maui resident, I know firsthand how important it is to provide families and students with needed peace of mind,” she added.
Lahainaluna Firebreak Initiative Goals: To Protect History, Homes and Futures
The Lahainaluna Firebreak Initiative is designed to protect Lahainaluna High School and Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, and the nearby homes along Lahainaluna Road. “We have a responsibility to this ʻāina to protect it from disaster events, and we’re taking that very seriously,” said Amos Lonokailua-Hewett, Maui Emergency Management Administrator. “The Firebreak Initiative was created and led by Maui people, for Maui people."
Alumni Leading the Effort
Much of the groundwork for the project was led by Lahainaluna alumni, returning to support their alma mater. Kainoa Casco, Vice President of Land Productivity & Asset Management at MLP and a LHS graduate, managed the creation of a firebreak road just behind the campus buildings so the Maui Fire Department has direct access to better protect the school in an emergency.
“This campus raised us,” Casco said. “Standing alongside fellow alumni who are my co-workers today is a full-circle moment. Big mahalo to our MLP team in particular, Danny Kauvaka and Palani Wright who led these efforts on the ground. We are grateful for the opportunity to support Lahainaluna, protect this ‘āina, and serve the community that shaped us.”
In the weeks leading up to Saturday’s community workday, Keoni Moore, who is also an LHS graduate and founder of Lahaina Excavation, mowed down dry grass with his crew to create a barrier further above campus for additional protection.
“As a Lahainaluna alumnus whose little brother is still a student here, the safety of this campus is very personal to me,” said Moore. “Helping to prepare the grounds and seeing our community; neighbors, alumni and family come together to protect the school is something I’ll never forget.”
For more information on how to support this important work, we welcome you to contact Maui United Way or donate at www.MauiUnitedWay.org.