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Slice of PI-CASC Seminar

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"Beyond the Red Flag: Enhancing Hawaiʻi’s wildfire risk with statewide ignition maps" with Dr. Sayed Betini, College of Engineering, Dr. Keri Kodama, Sea Grant College Program, Mathew Lucas, Water Resources Research Center, Thi Kieu Trang Tran, College of Engineering, and Dr. Thomas Giambelluca, Water Resources Research Center. Description: Historically, the State of Hawaiʻi fire risk alert system has relied on information from a few locations to issue a Red Flag Warning. However, because the system is based on a limited number of points, contrasting conditions across the state may not be taken into account, and Red Flag Warnings may not be declared despite high-risk conditions elsewhere. For example, no red flags were declared during any of the multiple, record-breaking large fires on Maui in 2019 and 2023 due to different weather patterns in Honolulu. To address this critical gap, a multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi has collaborated over the past two years to develop statewide maps of fire ignition probability. These high-resolution (250 m) maps are produced daily on the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP) and provide a continuous dataset from January 1, 2002, to the present. This team presentation will showcase the methodologies behind the development of the gridded products and the techniques used to map ignition probability, and will provide guidance on how to access and utilize this valuable data. Join us to learn how University of Hawaiʻi scientists are playing a vital role in addressing wildfire challenges in Hawaiʻi by offering innovative solutions to enhance preparedness and response. This will be a hybrid event: guests are encouraged to attend in-person at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics (HIG) building, room 210, on the 51��� ����ԴDz� campus. Lunch is provided for the first 25 guests.

Event Sponsor
Sea Grant College, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Anela Akana, 8084299117, anelaa@hawaii.edu,