Fires break out across islands during holiday

It was a fiery Fourth of July across Hawaii.

On Oahu, fires broke out at a scrap metal yard at Campbell Industrial Park and in brush near Royal Kunia Country Club.

On Maui, fires erupted in Kihei and at a house in Happy Valley.

Kauai had its share of brush fires as well, although not all on Independence Day.

The fire at Campbell Industrial Park could take days to extinguish.

Firefighters received a call just before 5 a.m. about a fire at Island Recycling, 91-140 Kaomi Loop, said Hono- lulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins.

About 20 firefighters responded and found a pile of automobile and other metal parts on fire. The pile was about 40,000 square feet in size and 40 feet high.

Jenkins said shortly after the fire started, winds pushed smoke offshore, forcing police to evacuate campers from a beach near Barbers Point for safety. Campers were allowed back after winds shifted.

No structures were threatened and no one was hurt. The cause was unknown.

A brush fire near Royal Kunia Country Club prompted police to close part of Kunia Road on Saturday afternoon. Police closed the road in both directions from Hawaii Country Club near Mililani to Anonui Street about 2:10 p.m.

Firefighters said the fire started about noon near Anoiki and Anonui streets. Twelve fire companies and 36 firefighters responded.

Just after 2 p.m., Maui fire crews responded to a brush fire near Moi Place and Piilani Highway. The fire covered 2 to 3 acres and briefly closed the highway.

Just after 4 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a call for another brush fire about 150 yards to the south of where crews were mopping up the first fire. Firefighters disconnected fire hoses and drove down the street to battle the second blaze, which was about 40 feet wide and 400 feet long.

The department said the cause appears suspicious.

In Happy Valley, meanwhile, a fire broke out in a house on Alani Place.

Four people were preparing food inside the single-story home when someone smelled smoke, the Maui Fire Department said by email. They found the outside of the house on fire and quickly got out.

Wailuku firefighters arrived at 12:47 p.m. to find flames coming from the rear of the house.

Crews had the fire under control by 1:05 p.m. and extinguished it at 1:42 p.m.

The fire caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the structure and $15,000 to its contents. There were no injuries and no damage to neighboring structures. The cause could not be determined, fire officials said.

The Red Cross was assisting the affected residents.

The Kauai Fire Department said it responded to five small brush fires from Thursday night to Saturday morning.

Two fires broke out in Anahola late Thursday night — one near Pilipoli Road and another near Kealia Road. Firefighters then responded to a brush fire off the Kapaa Bypass Road, south of the roundabout.

Two more fires broke out after 1 a.m. Saturday.

Fire crews extinguished a fire on the makai side of Kapule Highway, between the Lihue Airport and Hanamaulu Beach. A second fire broke out near Paliku, known as Donkey Beach, in Kealia, burning slightly more than an acre.

None of those fires caused injuries or damage to structures.