Wildfire concerns revive pleas for new emergency evacuation routes on Oahu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Three months since the Maui fires and communities all over Hawaii are re-thinking their own safety plans, including coastal areas on Oahu where thousands of people have no alternate escape routes.

Critical areas include the west side, the North Shore, and the Windward side.

These communities have different approaches, but the big issues are usually money and permission.

The Lahaina tragedy has leaders around the state thinking, what if it happened in our community?

Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said his team is working with city and state officials and is prioritizing high-risk areas with one way in and out.

“Each different community may have its own unique challenges, so it’s just gonna take time for us to be able to go out into these individual communities to harden it,” said Hao.

In Leeward Oahu, the U.S. Army is open to using the Kolekole Pass as an emergency evacuation route from Waianae to Wahiawa.

Tonight, the state tells Hawaii News Now it also plans to build an alternate route Mauka of Maili along Pa’akea Road, but that won’t start for three more years.

HDOT works with agencies and communities on alternative routes where feasible, for example, Paakea Road from Mailiili Street to Lualualei Naval Road. This route would add capacity for emergency evacuations from West Oahu, which is prioritized due to Farrington Highway ending at Kaena Point. The current estimated schedule is the start of construction in mid-2026, following the completion of agreements, land acquisition, and the design-bid process.

Residents in Hau’ula are asking for a community resiliency hub for storm protection and medical services.

They’re about 45 minutes from Kaneohe along Kamehameha Highway, where floods sometimes wash out the road.

Long-time Hau’ula Resident Dotty Paddock said closures can be life-threatening.

“I needed to get to the hospital, I had an appendix that was bursting, and we got to like Waikane Stream, and the bridge was closed there, I had to go around the whole island to get down to Castle Hospital,” said Paddock. “And because it took so long, I had to spend a week in the hospital.”

“So that can happen to anyone on a daily basis out here, you never know when the road is going to be closed.”

“There’s no money, and the public might have a hard time swallowing them because they see how much money is spent in other places, but really, when it comes to this specific issue right now, we haven’t seen money yet,” said State. Sen. Brenton Awa. “This hub would cost upwards of 30 million.”

“The good deal with it is that the federal government might match like putting 90%.”

In Pupukea, residents have been asking for an alternate route for decades to get past Waimea Bay.

In the past, rockfalls have blocked Kamehameha Highway for hours.

Last Saturday, a brushfire near the highway in Haleiwa highlighted the need for more evacuation options.

The military has been under pressure to offer Drum Road as an emergency bypass.

“The dialogue from the army when this first started after the Maui fire was road cannot open now, they’re at least having a conversation,” said Awa.

“It seems like we could get some support from the military as much as we support them on this island,” said Paddock.

The U.S. Army Garrison in Hawaii said it’s prepared to collaborate and work with city and state emergency planning officials to assess Drum Road as an evacuation option for North Shore residents.

While the road was constructed by the U.S. Army, a majority of the road is not owned by the U.S. Army. The Army has a non-exclusive easement to use the road for military traffic to training areas at Kahuku. This road also has required a significant amount of repair and upkeep due to weather effects, including mud slides, sink holes, and other hazards. The safety and security of our greater community is important, and we are ready to assist in developing evacuation plans with City & County and State Emergency Planning Officials.