The Big Island is under a state of emergency tonight because of a drought.

County officials say they have only 18 days of water left in the island's reservoirs.

Officials say farmers and ranchers have been running out of water, so have many residents who depend on rain water for their every day living.

Big Island water haulers like Charlie Huston have been extra busy.

"I try run about seven to eight loads a day, and I'm booked all the way till next week maybe Wed, Thursday," said water hauler Charlie Huston.

Huston has been filling many rain water catchments.

"When we run out of water, we get in a situation where can be shut down in personal life but also work," said Paradise Park resident Cindy Sellers.

Residents in Paradise Park -- which is part of Puna -- rely on rain water, and many have been running out in recent weeks.

"Been trying to keep up to where we don't lose our trees and plants and then of course your drinking water, and bathing water," said Sellers.

It has been a dry year on the Big Island, with below than normal rainfall, and the National Weather Service is predicting more dry days ahead.

"Conditions are dry and worsening, and we know without the rainfall that set us up for runaway brushfires and we feel there's an extreme danger of runaway brushfires in some districts," said Troy Kindred, Big Island Civil Defense.

Under Mayor Harry Kim's emergency drought proclamation, the county restricts most outdoor fires, which means no camping or beach bbqs in the upcoming summer weeks.

The water in the reservoirs are at dangerous levels.

"Based on my calculations usage versus storage, we can only last about 18 days," said Milton Pavao, Hawaii County Dept. of Water Supply.

The county has issued mandatory water restriction notices for the Hamakua and South Kohala districts and conservation notices for Kau and North Kohala.