I was driving home yesterday and I was struck by a contrasting view. The top photo shows the Keanuiomano Stream running down towards the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, the main road along the coast from Kailua Kona to the north.
I posted (here) about the river running high a few weeks ago, following the passage of Tropical Storm Calvin. Since then, there’s been a gradual decline in volume, but there’s still a trickle of water and the stream bed is full of pools. This area is popular with the goats, because it’s a good source of water and fodder after rainfall.
Crossing the road, the view is starkly different. The passage of Hurricane Dora triggered strong, dry trade winds. When fires broke out, they spread quickly (here). This view shows the aftermath of one of the relatively small fires, which burned about 500 acres next door to Mauna Kea Resort. The palm trees and houses on the left of the bottom image are part of the resort.
Ironically, when I took river running high photos, I checked out the other side of the highway for possible photos. I didn’t bother taking any, as I couldn’t see much because of the thick vegetation. Now it’s wide open down to the ocean.
Graham's Island 
That is how fires clean up vegetation. Pity you didn’t take the before photo of a mass of tangled green. Bet the resort owners were sweating big time
LikeLiked by 1 person
It would have made a striking before and after photo, but at the time it just looked like an unremarkable mess. Some of the resort owners were evacuated, but the resort properties tend to be very well watered so the fires died out in that vicinity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sure would have
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hear the fires are really bad on Maui, Graham. Take good care 🤗💖
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they’re going through the aftermath over there and it’s pretty grim. It wasn’t nearly as bad here, so we’re quite lucky in that respect.
LikeLike
😕🩶
LikeLike