WAIALUA — A handful of farmers and ranchers report more than $1 million in losses from a weeklong fire that scorched 7,000 acres last month, but the overall value of damages may never be known.

It's been four weeks since the fire was extinguished, but because of a unique confluence of circumstances, no government agency appears to be in charge of assessing the losses, which include thousands of fruit trees and grazing acreage.

Legislators, state and federal agriculture officials and even Fire Department personnel were surprised to learn that no one is talking to those affected and tallying the damages.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, which normally responds to natural disasters, said this fire doesn't qualify because it was intentionally set.

The Honolulu Fire Department, which does damage assessments after structure fires, said it isn't trained to analyze crop losses.

The state Department of Agriculture said it would assess the loss if farmers applied for low-interest loans, which are available in the event of such disasters, but only one person has done so.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency might have become involved if the president had declared it a disaster, but that didn't happen.

And the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which focuses on soil and natural resource conservation, said it will only assess potential erosion problems caused by the fire.

"You would think there is somebody out there that has to do something about uncontrollable fires," said state Sen. Robert Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa). "It's just frustrating on my part to not be able to go to some agency or somebody to ask for their help."

Bunda said he had expected the Natural Resources Conservation Service to conduct a broader assessment that would help him and other area representatives decide how to help the farmers.

"How can we help if we don't know exactly the extent of the damages?" he said. "We just don't want to give tax credits or grants with just arbitrary numbers."

Bunda said he hopes to talk to the governor and colleagues about the situation.

DIFFICULT CALCULATIONS

State Rep. Michael Magaoay, D-46th (Kahuku, North Shore, Schofield), said knowing the value of the farms and the losses is necessary to deal with the problem.

"For every action we need a reaction," Magaoay said. "We need to know the estimated value. If anything I feel that we need to have a base so that in case you need to prove something you can come back to it."

But even if someone were doing an assessment, many said it would be a difficult process because future losses would have to be calculated into the equation.

"Basically, I lost all my feed for 300 head of cattle," said Bob Cherry, owner of Flying R Livestock in Waialua. Cherry was referring to his pastures, of which 2,200 acres were burned along with 18 miles of fence he valued at $475,000 and a water line worth $36,000.

Cherry said he was forced to purchase a 40-foot container of hay cubes and $4,000 worth of baled hay to feed his animals before moving them to a new location last week. But first he had to install fences there and hook up water.

But even when the grass grows, he won't be able to move the cattle back until he replaces the fence, a daunting challenge in which workers will have to rappel down slopes to build the fence, Cherry said.

The Fire Department has determined that the fire was intentionally set Aug. 12. It burned for nine days, fanned by brisk winds that eventually spread the flames over 7,000 acres, including fallow fields, scrub valleys, a military installation and state forests.

Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said investigators are still working on a fire report but it doesn't include losses to farmers. The report will include the cost of fighting the fire, and those figures will be used to request federal assistance in recouping about 75 percent of the cost of fighting the wildfire, Seelig said.

Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said it spent about $500,000 to hire helicopter services to drop water on threatened and endangered species.

Stefanie Gardin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army, said its Oahu Natural Resources Program hired two private helicopters to protect threatened and endangered species near Schofield Barracks, but she wasn't able to offer a cost.

Of the farmers and ranchers spoken to, Cherry suffered the greatest damages, but he still has his cattle. Others were not so lucky.

'NO CAN SELL' THIS FRUIT

Farmer James Song said 40 percent to 45 percent of his fields burned, destroying 650 papaya trees, 156 banana plants and eight avocado trees. He also lost about 3,000 feet of fence that protected portions of his 37-acre farm from theft and about $700 in watering equipment.

"Even if no die, that papaya no can sell because already one time burn, taste different," Song said.

Song, 66, estimated losses of $200,000.

Al Santoro, who operates an organic farm on 7 acres of land, said he lost $18,000 in crops and $2,000 in irrigation line, plus insurance is paying just less than $20,000 to clean the ash and smoke smell from his home in Poamoho Estates.

"People are saying there's no damage to houses and that's absurd," Santoro said. "There's a tremendous amount due to smoke and ash."

Some 500 of his banana trees had to be cut down and 150 papaya trees were destroyed, he said. It will take a year and a half to regain banana production, but he said he was lucky compared to others.

Dole Foods Hawaii is still evaluating its losses, said Dan Nellis, operations director. The company, which leases land to farmers as well as produces pineapple, lost about 1,500 feet of a major water line and some pineapple crops, Nellis said. The line is for fields available for farm leases and will have to be replaced, he said.

"Fortunately they didn't have crops in the ground and then have it burn because they would be looking at crop losses as well," Nellis said.

Though some farmers indicated they have no crop insurance, Janelle Saneishi, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture, said only one person has applied for a low-interest loan.

Loan officers have gone to some farms to inform them about the loans, Saneishi said.

WAITING FOR ASSISTANCE

However, it is not known how many farmers and ranchers were affected by the fire.

Alan Takemoto, executive director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, said he understands why farmers wouldn't go after the loan.

"It's another debt to manage," Takemoto said. "It works for some and doesn't work for others."

But Neal Bashford, owner of Mokuleia Farms, said no one has come out to his place to offer help.

Bashford said he lost about 7 acres of bananas and a couple acres of papaya. The bananas are starting to grow back, but in their weakened condition they are susceptible to disease and they seem to be developing bunchy top, a virus that stunts trees, he said, adding that he might have to plow all of them under.

A backup corn planter worth about $20,000, a sprayer costing $3,600 and irrigation lines were also lost, Bashford said, estimating his damages at $225,000.

The government usually makes itself available in times of disaster, Bashford said. But not this time.

"We haven't had any help at all, just rumors," he said.

"It would be nice if somebody would come to us and offer some help, but I'm not holding my breath."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.