Officials are reminding the public to protect their homes from wildfires, which are expected to intensify this summer due to an ongoing drought.

In an effort to underscore the need for vigilance, city, state and federal officials Friday launched a campaign called “Wildfire & Drought Look Out!” It features a website, hawaii wildfire.org, that lists tips on preparedness as well as current information about drought conditions.

In a news release, Suzanne Case, director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said, “While fires here in Hawaii burn smaller acreages than in much larger Western states, the percentage of forest land we lose each year to wildfire, based on Hawaii’s actual land mass, is equal to states like California.”

Due to El Nino, dry conditions have lingered through the spring in many Leeward areas, which are getting less than half their normal rainfall, according to forecaster Derek Wroe of the National Weather Service. “This has led to the development of drought across the state, across the Leeward portions on every island.”

Although some rainfall is forecast for the next few weeks, Wroe said, the “drought is firmly in place in the state right now.”

During a news conference Friday at Pohakunui Cove Beach Park in Waianae, Wroe said, “We’re confident this drought is going to intensify as we head to the summer months.”

Historically, droughts touched off by El Ninos have led to increases in the number of wildfires.

“So, based on the conditions we see now and the forecast going ahead, the 2016 wildfire season should be very active,” Wroe said.

So far this year, wildfires have charred 10,865 acres statewide — more than twice the total acreage burned in 2015.

Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins said preparedness and prevention are critical in keeping homes safe.

Clay Trauernicht, an extension fire specialist with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, said a mid-March wildfire in Nanakuli Valley that burned more than 2,500 acres of brush land ranks among the “top five largest wildfires Oahu has seen in the past decade or so.”

The Nanakuli wildfire was the largest on Oahu since a wildfire in Waialua that burned more than 7,000 acres in August 2007. Fire investigators determined the Waialua blaze was intentionally set.

SAFETY MEASURES

Tips to reduce risk of wildfire in drought conditions:

>> Clear leaves and debris from gutters and roofs.

>> Clear combustible materials next to or under homes and lanai.

>> Clear vegetation 10 feet around barbecues and campfires. Keep a shovel and water nearby when ready to fully extinguish.

>> Regularly maintain and check whether landscaping equipment such as weed trimmers and chain saws have spark arrestors.

>> Heat from vehicle exhaust systems can ignite dry grass. Park vehicles on areas that are paved or where vegetation is cleared.

Source: Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization