Fire in HVNP 95% contained
A wildfire on the southeast flank of Mauna Loa in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was 95% contained Friday and remained at 42.5 acres in size.
Firefighters continued to work the fire Friday with hoses, hand tools and chainsaws to extinguish all residual smoldering they could safely reach.
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Falling snags from dead trees burned in the 2018 Keauhou fire continue to be a hazard for firefighters, making it difficult to safely access and mop up the interior of the fire. Other hazards to firefighters include loose, uneven lava rock terrain.
Mauna Loa Road remains closed to the public from the gate at the Kipukapuaulu parking lot. Only authorized vehicles are allowed past the gate until further notice.
The fire was first reported at 6:09 p.m. on Monday and started near a power line road at an elevation of 4,800 feet in the park. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
No homes or other structures have been damaged.
