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HCR 168

REQUESTING THAT THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL AND THE STATE FIRE COUNCIL CLEARLY DEFINE STAGES OF WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION AND RELATED EFFORTS IN THE HAWAII STATE FIRE CODE.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by David Alcos and 4 co-sponsors

Calls Hawaii to define wildfire stages in Hawaii Fire Code—uncontrolled, contained, controlled, extinguished, and fully extinguished with 48h (96h on red-flag/drought) monitoring.

Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1594) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to JHA.
#definitions #firecode #terminology #wildfires
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Bill Summary · HCR 168

HCR 168 — Summary

Status: Concurrent Resolution (HCR 168 / HD1) — Reported from PBS as amended (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1594) recommending referral to JHA. Filed 2025-05-28. Companion bill: HR 163.

Purpose / Intent

HCR 168 asks Hawaii’s fire safety authorities to create clear, consistent definitions for stages of wildfire suppression and related activities in the Hawaii State Fire Code. The resolution is intended to improve public communications, internal operational guidelines, formal reporting, and application of fire safety regulations by standardizing terminology used during wildfire incidents.

Key provisions

  • Requests that the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the State Fire Council work together to clearly define stages of wildfire suppression and related efforts in the Hawaii State Fire Code (HD1 clarifies the responsible agencies).
  • Specifies that the following terms should be included and defined in the Code:
    • “uncontrolled”
    • “contained”
    • “controlled”
    • “extinguished”
    • “fully extinguished”
  • Requires the definition of “fully extinguished” to include continuous monitoring for hotspots or smoke for:
    • a minimum of 48 hours under normal conditions; and
    • 96 hours when a red flag warning is in effect or during drought conditions.
  • Calls for certified copies of the resolution to be transmitted to the State Fire Marshal, State Fire Council, county fire chiefs, each county Fire Prevention Bureau, and legislative leaders.

Who/what would be affected

  • Primary: Office of the State Fire Marshal and State Fire Council (tasked to define/implement terminology in the State Fire Code).
  • Secondary: County fire chiefs and Fire Prevention Bureaus (will apply standardized terms), firefighters and incident commanders (operational consistency), and the public (clearer, more uniform communications about wildfire status and safety).
  • Indirect: Emergency management, insurers, landowners, and reporting/statistical systems that rely on incident status definitions.

Legal effect & timeline

  • HCR 168 is a concurrent resolution — a formal request/recommendation rather than a statute. It does not itself amend the Fire Code but directs state fire authorities to take action to define terms in the Code.
  • Legislative actions shown include committee reporting (PBS), adoption, and filing dates in March–June 2025; HD1 edits emphasize interagency collaboration between the State Fire Marshal and the State Fire Council.

Potential impacts

  • Improved clarity and consistency in incident reporting and public messaging during wildfires.
  • More uniform operational protocols for declaring incident stages and determining when it is safe to cease active monitoring.
  • Potential operational/resource implications for fire agencies due to the monitoring requirements (48–96 hours) embedded in the recommended “fully extinguished” definition.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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