Brush fires may have been intentionally set

By CHELSEA JENSEN

Stephens Media Hawaii

As firefighters worked Tuesday afternoon to extinguish a 500-acre brush fire in South Kohala, two additional brush fires, described as suspicious in nature, ignited, closing Mamalahoa Highway for a second evening.

Hawaii County Fire Department Battalion Chief for Special Operations Gerald Kosaki confirmed the two new fires, ignited about 4 p.m. near mile-markers 16 and 23, appeared suspicious in nature. He said police and the fire department are investigating reports of suspicious activity in the area and urged anyone with information to call the Hawaii County Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.

The fire near mile-marker 16 had consumed approximately 40 acres of vacant brush land and remained out of control as of press time. Firefighters kept the fire near mile-marker 23 from spreading beyond 1/4 acre, Kosaki said.

Both appeared suspicious and started on the mauka side of the highway before progressing eastward, away from the road, he said. The fires did not cross Mamalahoa Highway. Because the fires are burning in a remote area, no property was threatened as of press time, he said.

Kosaki said various Hawaii County, volunteer, and state Department of Land and Natural Resources firefighters assisted by a Hawaii County helicopter providing water drops were working to contain the runaway fire, which was being fanned by 2 mph to 3 mph blowing winds from the southwest. A bulldozer was also cutting a firebreak around the perimeter of the fire that broke out near mile-marker 16.

Mamalahoa Highway, also known as Highway 190, was closed after the second and third brush fires were reported — just hours after it was reopened at noon following a 20-hour closure prompted by the original 500-acre brush fire that ignited Monday afternoon. The highway, the lone upper road connecting Waimea to Kona, remained closed as of press time.

The 500-acre brush fire did not appear suspicious in nature, however, its cause remains under investigation, Kosaki said. Fire crews were working to extinguish that blaze, which was listed as under control and contained as of press time Tuesday.

More than a dozen units comprising at least 30 Hawaii County, volunteer, federal and state firefighters fought the blaze Monday night into Tuesday, managing to keep it to about 500 acres south of the new Daniel K. Inouye Highway’s intersection with Mamalahoa Highway, Kosaki said. As of press time Monday, the fire had scorched an estimated 300 acres.

Firefighters were near extinguishing that blaze when dispatchers received reports of the two additional brush fires Tuesday, Kosaki said. Firefighters from about a dozen units were slated to remain at the scenes throughout the night.

Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.