Following a drier than usual wet season and as the dry season approaches, officials are cautioning residents about preventing destructive wildfires that are expensive to fight and deadly for Hawaii’s endangered species.

"We’d like to raise awareness in regards to the planning, prevention and preparedness for wildland fires," said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins at a joint news con-ference with county, state, federal, and nonprofit organizations at Magic Island on Wednesday morning.

HFD Chief Manuel Neves said wildfire season is an annual problem that can impact anyone, as evidenced by fires occurring recently in the Diamond Head, Central Oahu and Pearlridge areas.

"It’s also a concern of all the communities," Neves said. "It’s not just a westside problem."

Over the past five years, Oahu has had more than 2,000 wildland fires, which burned more than 9,000 acres and consumed 50,000 HFD man hours, Neves said.

"Everybody has a part to play in preventing these fires," he said. "Our wildland fires are started by humans, whether it’s accidental or on purpose."

He said residents should prepare themselves for fires, remain alert to suspicious activity, and call police if something unusual is seen.

Police Capt. Gordon Lum Kee said anyone who sees suspicious activity should gather as much information as possible, including a description of the suspect, the time, and any devices the suspect may be holding.

Derek Wroe, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service, said the wet season from October to April was drier than normal, especially in January and February, and Oahu’s leeward side saw 50 percent to 75 percent less rainfall than average. It was the ninth driest wet season in 30 years.

He said little relief is expected for leeward areas as the dry season just started in May.

The drier conditions could lead to the weather service issuing fire weather watches and red flag warnings in June, about a month earlier than usual, he said. Watches and warnings are issued when hot, dry and windy conditions exist, creating conditions for widespread new ignitions or control problems with existing fires.

Clay Trauernicht, a University of Hawaii fire specialist, said an additional concern was a wet summer last year that has produced more fuel for wildfires.

Lisa Hadway, administrator of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, said declining rainfall, possibly caused by climate change, will lead to more wildland fires, which disrupt tourism and recreation.

A quarter of the lands managed by the division are grasslands that burn easily, leading to fires that push into Hawaii’s native forests.

"Once the forest burns, it never recovers," Hadway said. "We have critical watersheds we protect and endangered species."

Grasslands replace Hawaii forests lost to fire, unlike mainland forests that are "fire adapted" and depend on a fire cycle to regenerate.

Hadway said Hawaii has more than 450 endangered species, which is the most in any state and a third of all the U.S. endangered species.

"Pretty much, any forest that burns is probably going to have an impact on an endangered species," she said.

In addition, fighting fires is expensive, Hadway said. Flying a helicopter to fight a fire costs about $1,000 an hour, while the daily cost of a firefighting operation for the forestry division staff is $25,000 to $30,000.