Despite this recent hit, he said it's an area building quite a name for itself.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America, the world's largest coffee trade association, has named brews from ten companies "Coffees of the Year."

Three are from the U.S. and all from Ka'u -- two being Tabios and Obra.

Cross' employer has invested millions in Ka'u, buying and maintaining thousands of acres of agriculture land, opening a coffee mill - the first in the area - and taking on the monumental task of rebuilding miles of old plantation irrigation from tunnels high on the Big Island to farmers short on water down below.

"Up in pear tree there is no irrigation!  Last week, they could have put those fires out or they could have controlled some of those fires, instead, the fire ran through the orchards and the windbreaks," Cross said.

The biggest problem now is time, but people we talked to in Ka'u say this setback is not nearly enough to stop them.

"The people are incredible. We all work together," said Obra.