As investigators wrap up their probe of several “suspicious” brush fires last week in West Hawaii, firefighters continue working to extinguish at least one of the blazes that charred more than 1,100 acres in North Kona and South Kohala.
As investigators wrap up their probe of several “suspicious” brush fires last week in West Hawaii, firefighters continue working to extinguish at least one of the blazes that charred more than 1,100 acres in North Kona and South Kohala.
Hawaii Fire Department investigators are nearing turning over to police their end of the investigation of the blazes that broke out about 4 p.m. Thursday, Todd Kazuo, of the department’s Kona Fire Prevention Bureau, said Tuesday. The bureau has two investigators in Kona and two in Hilo that look into fires islandwide. They are called out to investigate when there is a high-value loss, such as a home burns down, or when a fire is “suspicious.”
Todd said he could not provide specifics about the current investigation, including a determination of the cause or origin of the blazes, because the probe is ongoing. But he was able to say the investigation looked into arson as a cause.
“Currently, that one is under investigation for that possibility,” he said.
That’s because, generally speaking, he said, a natural brush fire starts from one source such as in the case of a lightning strike or someone pulling a vehicle over on the shoulder of a roadway and its hot muffler ignites brush unknowingly, he said.
“One of the things key to arson is you have multiple fires on the same day or within the same time period,” Todd explained. “‘Accidental’ doesn’t happen three times; lighting doesn’t strike the same house three times — that is impossible.”
All told, the three fires in the vicinity of Highway 190 and Daniel K. Inouye Highway charred more than 1,100 acres of dry brush and fountain grass. The fires had five separate points of origin that combined into the three separate fires at the height of the blaze Thursday afternoon, fire officials previously said.
On Tuesday, Pohakuloa Training Area firefighters continued to douse hot spots and flare ups within a 320-acre burn area in federal land off the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. That fire was about 95 percent contained, according to the U.S. Army.
Attempts to get an update on the larger of the three fires, a 771-acre blaze located on state Department of Land and Natural Resources land about 4 miles north of Puuanahulu along Highway 190 were unsuccessful Tuesday. However, the department said Friday that a fire line had been established around 75 percent of the blaze. A person who answered the DOFAW phone in Hilo said they thought crews remained at the scene.
The third fire on Highway 190, near mile marker 17, consumed about 24 acres and was extinguished last week.
Todd noted any information the public can provide about the fires is still needed as police continue to look into the matter.
“Sometimes, the key to breaking the case or closing an arson case is that one piece of evidential information given to us by random passersby. People who are intentionally starting fires are often seen by passersby,” he said.
Anyone with information is urged to call the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.
Email Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com.