Feb. 17, 2026

On the lawn near the entrance to the Kalama Village Shopping Center in Maunalua on Kamehameha Schools lands in East Honolulu, workers put the final touches on a 400-square-foot chain-link enclosure that will house a marvel of technology intended to help keep this community safe.

“Technology alone isn’t the solution, but when paired with our shared sense of responsibility, it becomes a powerful force for safeguarding this and other communities,” Kamehameha Schools Director of Land Operations Perry Kealoha said. 

Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha began work in February toward installing a statewide network of ALERTWest artificial intelligence-powered wildfire detection cameras — a project that blends cutting-edge technology with a deep sense of kuleana to place, people and community. Their presence here signals something much larger: a commitment to protecting Hawaiʻi’s future through shared responsibility. 

Seven cameras, including the one at Kalama Village, will be delivered in the next month and are expected to be installed and operational by March 31. Stationed across Hawaiʻi on O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai‘i Island, the cameras will use 360-degree views to scan the environment for early hints of heat anomalies and smoke, day and night, sending alerts to county fire departments when danger appears. For emergency responders and land stewards, those minutes matter — the difference between a small brush fire and something far worse.

Most of the KS cameras will be located in remote areas out of the view of communities. The most visible camera will be located at the Kalama Village Shopping Center. That camera will be on a trailer and housed within the chain-link enclosure. Another camera on a trailer will also be located in Maunalua on a Koko Crater ridge overlooking an area near Kamilo Iki Community Park. For privacy, nearby homes that show up on either camera feed will be pixelated and unrecognizable.

The Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha cameras will complement cameras owned and installed by Hawaiian Electric. But as KS leaders emphasize, this is not simply a technology project. It is part of a broader movement toward community resiliency and the understanding that wildfire prevention and protection is a shared kuleana.

“Wildfires don’t stop at boundary lines,” Kealoha said. “And neither should the work to prevent them. Our goal is not only to protect our own lands, but to be a good neighbor — to strengthen the safety net for entire communities.”

Brush fires in recent years have reshaped the way local organizations think about preparedness. 

Many of these places sit at the intersection of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and community livelihood. Protecting them is not discretionary — it is foundational to KS’ values. 

For years, KS land stewards have worked alongside county fire departments, state agencies, conservation nonprofits, and neighboring landowners on fuel reduction, firebreaks, forestry restoration, and emergency access planning. A collaboration with Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization is also working to raise awareness and equip community members with tools to protect their homes, ʻohana and neighborhoods. These cameras can also help in areas with steep or rocky topography where mechanical mowing is not possible or too dangerous. The introduction of AI detection technology is simply another step: a layer of foresight designed to complement hands-on stewardship.

Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha views the camera network as an extension of its longstanding partnerships — a way to strengthen coordination with first responders and increase real-time visibility for everyone working on the front lines of wildfire management.

Though AI-powered cameras might seem futuristic, KS approaches this initiative through an indigenous, ʻāina-based lens: caring for the land ensures the well-being of generations yet to come. To KS, wildfire resilience is not solely about infrastructure or hardware. It is about affirming a covenant with the ʻāina — honoring the reciprocal relationship that has sustained the Native Hawaiian people for centuries.

On the day the first cameras go live, they’ll mark more than an operational milestone. They’ll represent the weaving together of Hawaiian values, modern innovation, and a collective responsibility to protect community. 

“Our hope,” Kealoha adds, “is that these cameras become part of a broader movement — one where partners, communities, and agencies work together, side by side, to keep our islands safe. Community resilience for wildfires and other natural disasters is not something any one of us can achieve alone.”