Kauai firefighters spent all day Saturday battling a persistent brush fire that broke out Friday evening on Pokii Ridge in Kokee.

With the assistance of firefighters from the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the Kauai area forestry manager, Kauai Fire Department crews were able to get the fire approximately 40 percent contained as of Saturday evening.

On Friday evening, a DOFAW bulldozer cut firebreaks on an old dirt road, allowing DOFAW and KFD trucks to reach the west and north flanks of the fire. Firefighting efforts were suspended at between 2 a.m. and daybreak on Saturday.

A county helicopter performed water drops throughout the day and three DOFAW bulldozers and a water tender assisted in the containment effort.

A preliminary investigation suggests that the fire started on the side of Kokee Road about one mile from the base of the roadway then travelled up to Pokii Ridge.

The cause of the fire is unknown.