90-degree day ties Honolulu record

A high temperature of 90 degrees in Honolulu Saturday tied the record for that date set in 1981, the National Weather Service said.

The agency predicts high temperatures on Oahu from 85 to 90 degrees through Thursday, with variable winds up to 15 mph, partly cloudy skies and isolated showers.

Through Sunday, south shores should see wave heights of 3 to 5 feet; west shores, 1 to 3 feet; north shores, 2 feet or less; and east shores, 2 to 4 feet.

Small, south-southwest swells should continue through Friday, with a small northwest swell expected late next week.

The tradewinds are expected to weaken, and low clouds and showers will favor the interior and leeward sections each afternoon and evening, with some clouds and showers over windward and mauka sections mainly at night and during the morning, the weather service said. The atmosphere remains stable and heavy rain is not expected.

On Wednesday, record rainfall of 0.11 inch set a record for the date in Honolulu, more than doubling the previous record of 0.05 inch set in 1997.

Study would electrocute invasive fish

A Tulane University associate professor hopes to get rid of invasive fish species in 12 Oahu streams by electrocuting them during a six-month pilot program.

Professor Michael Blum has requested a special activity permit from the Department of Land and Natural Resources that would allow him to send a current into the water to expose and momentarily stun fish, a practice called electrofishing, HawaiiNewsNow reported (bit.ly/1GE1vpp ).

Electrofishing allows a person to collect the stunned fish, and Blum wants to explore whether it works as a tool for removing invasive species that threaten native species in Hawaii streams.

He says workers will take care to protect those native species. "We’re adding a cautionary step where we take the time, consideration and intensity to remove them by hand before introducing any electric current," he said.

Electrofishing will focus on removing guppies and armored catfish, which both negatively affect their environment.

Blum said he decided on Hawaii for the project because of its cultural values and biodiversity.

"The culture and the value that’s placed on the native species in the streams is tremendous," he said.

Suspicious fire flares up again in cane field

Maui firefighters battled a suspicious cane fire Friday evening near Hana Highway and the Paia mini-bypass.

The fire was first reported around 8:42 p.m. on property owned by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.

HC&S officials confirmed that the fire was unscheduled.

County firefighters contained about 80 percent of the blaze using large fire streams from fire trucks outside the field.

HC&S personnel assumed firefighting and monitoring duties after county firefighters left the scene around 9:40 p.m.

The fire was the second to occur in the same area on consecutive nights. The cause of the blaze could not be determined.

No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened.

Guards and fence prevent escape by Maui detainee

Quick-acting corrections officers prevented a pre-trial detainee from escaping from the Maui Community Correctional Center, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

According to the department, Samson Hill, 26, who is awaiting trial for unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, attempted to scale a 14-foot fence but got caught in razor wire. Corrections officers pulled Hill from the fence and restrained him.

Hill was subsequently transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries.

No lockdown was initiated.

Hill now faces a second-degree escape charge, according to the department.