Photos courtesy of Kane Legacy Tree Service instagram & GoFundMe Campaign
The Tie That Binds: Restoring the Arborist Community in the Wake of Maui Wildfires
As rebuilding efforts get underway, Yale Cordage donates supplies to local businesses devastated by historic blaze
MAUI, HI- This summer, historic wildfires devastated Hawaii’s beloved community of Maui, killing more than 100 people, destroying thousands of buildings, and causing billions of dollars in damage. Flames spread quickly to downed trees, already ravaged by prior storms. As the flames smoldered, first responders from around the globe joined the recovery efforts, which are continuing today.
From sprawling Banyans to lush Coconut Palms and Monkey Pods, Maui is home to a vast array of magnificent trees and a tight-knit community of skilled arborists trained to scale these giants. But this August, they watched helplessly as flames engulfed their homes and livelihoods.
Jake Kane, the owner of Kane’s Legacy Tree Services, has been a licensed arborist in Lahaina for nearly a decade. But the business he worked so hard to cultivate was wiped out in an instant. Fire tore through the storage facility where all of his tools were stored. In total, the business lost 18 pieces of equipment and heavy machinery including all of its climbing equipment and rope.
Jake and Kane’s Legacy Tree Services have been part of the Yale Cordage family for years, and rely on our signature products to keep climbers safe no matter the job. When news of the fires and widespread destruction reached Yale Cordage, we knew we had to help.
On August 25, our team sent Jake and his crew a care package that included high performance work gloves and a large variety of Yale Cordage arborist climbing and rigging lines such as Blue Moon, Prism, ArborMax Gator, Portland Braid, and other synthetic high-performing ropes. We specifically shipped our products in bulk containers and clear packaging to keep the climbing lines clean for crews working to clear debris.
Photos courtesy of Kane Legacy Tree Service instagram & GoFundMe Campaign
Jeremiah Johnson was born and raised on the Big Island and has been scaling trees as far back as he can remember. He became a contract climber with Kane’s Legacy Tree Services in 2018. He was climbing charred trees with dwindling supplies when our donation arrived.
Today, recovery efforts are expanding with debris removal slowing moving into new areas. Jeremiah says he’s relying on Yale Cordage products to get the job done, “Right now I’m using Blue Moon as a climbing line, and I have a hank of Prism as a replacement. I also have a flip line made from Blaze rope and will be using the Portland Braid for my new rigging line. We will be using that a lot as a tagline because many of the structures are no longer there to have to rig next to,” he said, “I also never found a pair of gloves that I like using while climbing, but I am so impressed with the quality of the ones Yale Cordage donated.”
Keeping arborists safe while they work to restore this vibrant community is critical and Yale Cordage remains dedicated to helping the people of Maui rebuild. We extend our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women working on the ground each day.
If you’d like to help support Jake’s Legacy, click to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jake-kanes-businesses-and-people
