The Honolulu Fire Department has acquired two new trucks that are expected to make putting out brush fires more efficient, important with the approach of summer when wildfires are more prevalent.

City fire officials joined the Federal Fire Department,  Honolulu police and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources for a news conference Wednesday at the new East Kapolei Fire Station to remind residents about the danger of brush fires as seasonal heat dries shrubs, small trees and undergrowth.

The Fire Department’s new vehicles have 300-gallon tanks and four-wheel drive to get “a little deeper and a little closer to remote areas,” said Assistant Fire Chief Rolland Harvest.

The trucks also have compressed air-foam systems that allow water to more easily penetrate burning material, he said.

Assistant Fire Chief Emmit Kane said the department will evaluate the effectiveness of the trucks that cost $120,000 each before considering buying more.

“We expect good things out of these apparatuses,” Kane said.

Oahu had more rain than normal last month, which will lessen the chances of wildland fires, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Derek Wroe.

Brush fires typically occur between June and August.  To prepare, city Fire Chief Manuel Neves recommends that residents remove dry leaves and other combustible material from around their homes for at least 30 feet.

The police department said residents should keep an eye out for any suspicious activity that could include arson.