(BIVN) – The National Weather Service in Honolulu has posted a Fire Weather Watch for leeward areas of Hawaiʻi, and the Hawaiian Electric utility says it will be monitoring the situation for wildfire risk conditions.

Dry fuels, low relative humidity and strong trade winds could combine to bring the critical fire weather conditions during the day Friday.

Northeast to east winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, are forecast, while relative humidity could be as low as 40 to 50 percent. A Red Flag Warning will be possible.

Hawaiian Electric says it will be monitoring these possible fire weather conditions across the state, and if needed, the company may implement its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program to proactively shut off power in communities with high exposure to wildfire risk. 

“Based on current forecasts from NWS, a PSPS likely would not be necessary until Friday, Nov. 15 and Hawaiian Electric will provide updates on its assessment of the situation before then,” the utility stated. 

Hawaiian Electric also provided the following tips as to how you can prepare:

• Check emergency equipment such as flashlights, emergency generators, battery-operated (hand-crank or solar) radios, light sticks, and lanterns to be sure they are operational, and buy extra batteries.
• Make sure you have a battery-powered radio on hand to listen for updates on the weather conditions and possible PSPS activation.
• If someone in your home is dependent on electrically powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, check backup facilities. Plan where to go if an evacuation is ordered. If you need to go to the hospital or other emergency shelter, remember to take your medical equipment and medications with you to the facility.
• If you plan to use a portable generator, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area outside the home, and be sure to carefully follow all instructions in the manufacturer’s manual.
• Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings. If power goes out, this will keep food fresher longer.
• Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronics. If an outage occurs, this will prevent damage to the equipment from surges when power is restored.
• Don’t venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous; avoid standing water and debris.
• If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet or more away from all power lines. Warn others to stay away. For emergency assistance call 911.

The Hawaiian Electric Trouble Line for Hawaiʻi island is (808) 969-6666.