A spate of brush fires on Kauai believed to have been intentionally set has prompted officials to urge the public to keep a watchful eye to help police locate the culprit or culprits.
The Kauai Police Department is working closely with the Kauai Fire Department in the investigation.
About 70 brush fires have occurred on the Garden Isle since December. Of those, an estimated 50 to 55 fires are believed to have been deliberately set, according to county officials.
Kauai Police Chief Darryl Perry and Fire Prevention Bureau Capt. Daryl Date said this is believed to be the largest number of intentionally set fires on Kauai ever in a five-month period.
All of the suspected deliberate fires have occurred in remote areas, from Kokee to Anahola. The sizes of the fires have ranged from less than an acre to up to 100 acres.
A majority of the fires have been set in Anahola.
No injuries or damaged structures were reported.
There have been no arrests.
In an email, police Lt. Bryson Ponce said location and multiple points of ignition are factors that have led investigators to believe the fires were not accidental. Investigators have noticed a pattern of fires that have occurred in close proximity to one another in certain districts throughout the island.
"Also, there are no other heat source or elements of spontaneous combustion observed or located near the origin points — eliminating the possibility that a cigarette or spark from a moving vehicle could be responsible," he said.
When asked whether investigators recovered any potential evidence, Date declined to comment, saying disclosing that type of information at this time could hinder the investigation.
The latest fire occurred May 20 in Lihue. Less than 1 acre of brush was scorched along Niumalu Road, across from Garden Island Disposal.
Fire officials are concerned about the rash of intentionally set fires, especially with the dry summer season ahead.
The National Weather Service said a dry winter could lead to more brush fires this summer.
Perry said: "It’s already dry. It’s going to get drier and drier."
He added that if the trend of deliberate fires continues, it may cause harm to both individuals and property.
