House committees on Jan. 29 heard detailed testimony on proposals to expand statewide wildfire prevention and to establish a more empowered State Fire Marshal office, and advanced a narrower wildfire-fuel reduction measure for committee approval.

Why it matters: Testimony focused on implementing recommendations in the Fire Safety Research Institute's phase-three report and on how to structure and fund a statewide office able to set codes, manage data and coordinate wildfire response. Witnesses urged a clear governance structure, data collection capacity and advice from a broad advisory body before the state assigns broad code-making authority to a new office.

Major General Steven Logan, speaking for the Department of Defense, said his office would be open to housing an attached State Fire Marshal function but emphasized the need for coordination with counties and the State Fire Council. "The purpose of the bill would be then move it under DOD, subsequently, acquire the funding, hire the state fire marshal," Logan said; he added the administration would continue outreach to county chiefs.

Nonprofit wildfire experts urged more specifics before finalizing the office's powers. Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, said the group studied other states and compiled lessons learned. "One of the best practices is to have a diverse steering committee or advisory board ... so that by the time the state fire marshal provides a directive, it has been vetted and understood within the greater context of all the other goals that also need to be achieved," Pickett said. She told lawmakers that consistent statewide data collection and hazard mapping are essential to target limited mitigation funds.

Agency and industry backers emphasized the need for resources. Michael Walker, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife's statewide fire-protection forester, told the committee the department supports the measure in part but sought clarification on liability, staffing and the authority to perform fuel-reduction projects on lands not set aside to DLNR. Hawaiian Electric and other private-sector witnesses voiced support for an empowered marshal who can coordinate utility wildfire safety and mitigation work.

The committee moved House Bill 1113, focused on community fuel reduction and defensible space, forward with amendments. The chair explained the committee's recommendation to strike part 1 of the measure (which would have enacted broad new duties) and to retain part 2 (community fuel-reduction projects). Both the Public Safety and Water & Land panels adopted the amended recommendation.

Key details and concerns
- Advisory and vetting process: Multiple witnesses recommended a standing, multi-stakeholder advisory body (state fire chiefs, county planners, utilities, environmental and housing representatives) to review directives before statewide adoption.
- Data and mapping: HWMO and DLNR urged the state marshal office to include sustained funding for hazard mapping and a consistent data-collection system so Hawaii can qualify for federal grants and prioritize mitigation work.
- Placement and authorities: Some members asked whether the marshal's office should sit in DOD, DLNR, or elsewhere. Witnesses noted examples across other states and said both alignment with emergency management and with natural-resource/fire expertise have trade-offs.
- Implementation and hiring: The State Fire Council reported it is already reviewing applications for a marshal position under last session's law; members asked whether hiring should be paused until the office's authorities and placement are resolved.

Votes and next steps
- House Bill 1113 (defensible-space and community fuel reduction, as amended): Committee chairs recommended striking part 1 and retaining part 2; both committees adopted the recommendation and moved the measure with a placeholder appropriation and an effective date set to July 1, 3000 for committee-report drafting. Outcome: approved by committees; exact appropriation amount not specified in committee report.
- House Bill 1064 (stand-up/placement of a State Fire Marshal office and related code changes): deferred for further work; the chair asked for technical amendment proposals and outreach to county and statewide stakeholders.

What stakeholders said: HWMO and fire-safety advocates emphasized the importance of early community engagement. "We have done a deep dive...to learn best practices and watch-outs," Pickett said, offering to submit a compendium of lessons learned from Oregon, Colorado and other states.

Ending: Committees moved a narrower, actionable fuels-reduction measure forward while asking agencies and stakeholders to refine the structure, authority, and resourcing plan for a State Fire Marshal office before broader code-making or enforcement authorities are finalized.