Puna, nearly the size of O ' ahu, has only three staffed fire units. One of them, at Hawaiian Paradise Park, is a one-man operation. Puna has fewer than 30,000 residents - about 20 percent of the island's population. Residents in Puna have clamored for years for better fire protection and more water lines to combat fires. Much of Puna is without water lines.
Residents rely on rain catchment tanks or costly water hauling for their household needs.
Widespread lawlessness Denise Jones, coordinator of the Vacationland Neighborhood Watch, said the high number of fires should surprise no one familiar with Puna's general lawlessness. Most of them live on all the government assistance they can get. Itinerant renters can threaten to kill their neighbors and burn down their homes and nothing comes of it, she said, citing just such a case in her neighborhood. Other community figures were not willing to be quoted by name for fear of retribution. One said marijuana and narcotics trafficking are key factors.