A fire in a trash compactor on a truck trailer caused a traffic snarl Wednesday morning on Keaau-Pahoa Road (Highway 130), but only caused what a Fire Department official described as “minimal damage.”
A fire in a trash compactor on a truck trailer caused a traffic snarl Wednesday morning on Keaau-Pahoa Road (Highway 130), but only caused what a Fire Department official described as “minimal damage.”
“The trash in the compactor was burning but the compactor itself wasn’t damaged,” East Hawaii Battalion Chief Warren Sumida said late Wednesday afternoon.
The fire occurred near the intersection of Orchidland Drive, Sumida said. Five units responded to the 9:54 a.m. alarm. The first unit arrived on-scene at 10:02 a.m. and the fire was reported under control at 10:05 a.m.
The truck and trailer were escorted to the Hilo landfill, and a engine and rescue company responded there “to make sure we had enough fire suppression,” Sumida said.
The highway was closed briefly and traffic in both directions was re-routed between Kaloli Drive and Paradise Drive.
The cause of the fire is unknown, Sumida said.