The photos below were copied from annual reports between 1946 and 1951. Most represent Hakalau Plantation; however, when a picture of the harvesting process was not available for Hakalau, examples from other plantations are used.

Photos from Hakalau Plantation Company annual reports and the Hakalau Road Study courtesy of John Cross, Custodian of the Records, the Olson Trust Sugar Plantation Archives. Photo of a cane fire came from a display at the Hakalau School and Community Reunion, photographer unknown.
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Photo from a display at the Hakalau School and Community Reunion, photographer unknown.
The first step in harvesting was burning the cane to eliminate leaves and trash, leaving the juicy cane stalks.

Emi Uemura, who ​grew up in Hakalau Upper Camp, i.e., "Up Camp", during the 1940s and 1950s, shared her memories of cane fires.
For the Hakalau Kuleana, our responsibility is to care for the land, the people, and the culture. We are guided by cultural values of YESTERDAY: Engage in collective effort. Look out for each other. Honor hard work. Show respect for those who came before us. Aloha and Mālama `Aina. In 2021, Akiko Masuda added two more values to the list: Consistently show up. Whatever has to be done, jump in and do it!