Puko’o Fire Station Relocation Moving Forward

Photo by G70.

A new fire house in ‘Ualapu’e is one step closer to becoming a reality. After years of planning, the East Molokai community gathered last week to discuss one of the final steps before the station’s completion. 

The three-bedroom home intended to serve as the new station is located at 7451 Kamehameha V Highway. Purchased by the county back in 2022 for $300,000, the house was built in 1978, and requires renovations to the home and driveway before it becomes functional. The plan is to use ‘Ualapu’e Tank Access Road as the primary transport lane for the fire trucks, with the driveway serving as backup access. 

Construction of the fire house is planned to conclude in 2024-25. 

The current fire house in Puko’o is located at a former health center, and was never meant to be a permanent site for the fire station. Owned by the Dept. of Health and rented by the Maui Fire Dept., the current structure is in disrepair and prone to flooding. 

One major benefit for the new fire house is that it will be able to host four firefighters. Currently, only two firefighters staff the Puko’o station. A third position is budgeted for this year, and Maui County Assistant Fire Chief Hanale Lindo of Molokai hopes a fourth position will be possible in the future. 

Zhan Lindo, who has worked on the project for over 35 years, explained that the firefighters are needed to serve the 1,500 residents of east Molokai. 

“What Mana’e wants is adequate medical and fire attention,” she explained. 

Community concerns at the Oct. 25 meeting at Kilohana Rec. Center predominately regarded fire trucks pulling into oncoming traffic. Chief Lindo explained that the fire department will look into solutions like installing a warning light on the highway. 

The new fire house, like the current one in Puko’o, will not be a full-service fire station, but rather a fire house used by a full-time base crew of firefighters. As a fire house, it will not influence insurance ratings by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) in the area. An ISO rated fire station would cost about $10 million according to Chief Lindo. Still, Lindo urged the community to support the station even if it won’t necessarily help to lower their insurance costs. 

“Right now, the best opportunity we have to maintain a standard first response is to provide at least this level,” said Chief Lindo. 

An environmental assessment looking at potential ecological impacts of the project was recently released. The study looked at infrastructure, water supply, wastewater, and drainage, resulting in installation plans of a septic tank and runoff drainage site among other site improvements. 

Additional studies on the area included a cultural impact assessment and archaeological inventory survey. Rock wall segments were found in the expansion area of the driveway as part of the archaeological assessment. Further testing will be done on the site by archaeologists. 

A draft of the environmental assessment is available for public comment until Nov. 23. 

Molokai residents can comment on the draft by reaching out to ualapueFireHouse@g70.design or calling (808) 523- 5866.