Police at scene of vehicle fire off Stainback

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Hawaii County police are staged on Stainback Highway after a report of a vehicle fire this morning.

Hawaii County police are staged on Stainback Highway after a report of a vehicle fire this morning.

The Hawaii County Fire Department received a report of a vehicle fire on Quarry Road off Stainback Highway at 8:04 a.m. but were told to stand down by police before they got to the scene, said Warren Sumida, East Hawaii battalion chief.

Sumida said he wasn’t given a reason but guessed it might have been for the safety of the fire crews.

“They didn’t give us any information,” he said.

“I guess they were busy with something going on up there that we don’t know about.”

A police spokeswoman said she didn’t have any information to release.

Police officers are posted near the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo.

The officers, who declined to comment on the situation, were directing through traffic away from the scene earlier this morning but were allowing employees of university facilities up the road to pass.