A fire that destroyed a homeless encampment caused only about $200 in damage, according to the Hawaii Fire Department, but it shut down the Singing Bridge, the main northern entrance to and exit from Hilo, overnight on Monday.
Six units responded to the 7:53 p.m. alarm of smoke coming through the metallic link roadway of the bridge on Highway 19 at the mouth of the Wailuku River. According to a written Hawaii Fire Department statement, the first firefighters arrived five minutes later and found the burning encampment beneath the asphalt decking on the north approach of the bridge.
The fire, according to the statement, consumed a number of items, including cooking items and a magnesium motorcycle engine, which could not be extinguished by water, and firefighters from Central and Kaumana fire stations extinguished the fire using foam and water.
The fire was reported under control at 8:13 p.m. and extinguished at 8:47 p.m.
None of the items involved in the fire were deemed salvageable. There were no reported injuries and no occupants on scene.
While the fire was extinguished in less than an hour, the state Department of Transportation responded to the scene and assessed damage to the bridge.
The bridge remained closed about 12 hours, until the bridge was deemed safe to drive on, and traffic in and out of Hilo was rerouted via Wainaku Street. It was reopened for traffic in both directions at about 8 a.m. Tuesday.
East Hawaii firefighters also responded to at least two other fires Monday, both in Puna.
A unoccupied house on Akeakamai Loop in Pahoa village was destroyed by fire Monday night.
Six units, from Pahoa, Hawaiian Paradise Park and Keaau, responded to the 7:03 p.m. alarm, with the first unit arriving 13 minutes later. Firefighters found the single-story structure collapsed prior to their arrival.
The fire was reported under control by 7:22 p.m. and extinguished at 7:50 p.m. No injuries were reported and property damage was estimated at $82,500.
The scene was turned over to the HFD fire investigator and police for investigation.
And an early afternoon brush fire in the Nanawale Cove area off Government Beach Road in Pahoa required water drops from a county helicopter and the closure of the road itself.
Five units, including the helicopter, responded to the 1:07 p.m. alarm to a 150-foot-by-250-foot area of ironwood trees, stumps and pine needles.
While the fire area was relatively small, challenges for firefighters included the remoteness of the area, with lack of vehicular access, uneven terrain, large cracks in the ground and the thickness of the brush.
About 1,000 feet of hose line was laid through the area for ground operations while the helicopter water drops were being performed.
The fire was reported under control at 3:30 p.m. but hot spots continued through the night and firefighters remained on scene to monitor the smoldering area so operations could resume at daylight.
The East Hawaii Fire Battalion Chief didn’t immediately return a phone call, so there’s no updated status on the Puna brush fire.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
