On Monday, five days after the Waikoloa brush fire ignited, Hawaii County firefighters reported that it was nearly snuffed out. The wind-whipped fire burned some 18,000 acres but, fortunately, no homes were destroyed or threatened. Meanwhile, about 80 miles away — on the other side of the island — county emergency responders and others are continuing to grapple with Kilauea’s fiery flow.

Now folding into the nature-imposed drama is the forecast for Hurricane Hector. While Hector is not expected to touch down anywhere near Big Isle terrain, it could deliver a heavy-duty tropical storm.

Let’s hope the storm passes — Hawaii island could use a break.

Guard will get its pay more quickly, thankfully

Last week, when Gov. David Ige signed off on extending emergency disaster relief for lava-ravaged Puna to early October, he also pulled the trigger on a provision that can speed pay for the Hawaii National Guard, which has posted personnel on the scene since early May.

Under the provision, a Guard member can get a paycheck in less than two weeks following one work week. On one hand, that’s welcome progress over a processing time that had been taking up to three weeks — and had left some personnel in financial limbo. On the other, it’s irksome that it takes a volcanic emergency to prod updating an antiquated pay system that lacked even direct deposit.