Kalaupapa Chipper Incident 2026

On May 23, 2026, at approximately 1500, a fire module was conducting fuels reduction work along a fire break at Kalaupapa National Historical Park. The crew was chipping Christmas berry, oleander limbs, and slash that had been cut back from the fuel break. During the operation, a crewmember fed brush into the chipper that contained hidden wire. The wire was likely loose on the ground and had been picked up with a pile of limbs and brush. As the chipper feeder grabbed the material, the wire was pulled into the machine and rapidly tightened around the crewmember. The wire wrapped around portions of the crewmember’s legs, waist, and arm, causing friction burns, lacerations, and significant bruising to the backs of the thighs, calves, waist, and one arm.