State Department of Education officials will decide Wednesday morning whether to reopen four Wahiawa schools that were closed Tuesday due to smoke from wildfires.
DOE officials spent Tuesday monitoring whether the heavy smoke would clear up enough to resume classes, while federal and state firefighters continued to battle blazes that began over the weekend in the Ewa Forest Reserve.
Department spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said the decision would be announced early Wednesday morning on whether to reopen Iliahi Elementary, Wahiawa Elementary, Wahiawa Middle and Leilehua High schools.
The closures came a day after buildings on a Navy installation and residents from about 100 homes were temporarily evacuated.
Heavy smoke in Wahiawa and surrounding areas also prompted advisories from the state Department of Health for residents suffering from respiratory conditions to stay indoors and make sure they have an adequate supply of medications.
Those in the area of heavy smoke were being advised to close windows and doors, change air conditioner and air purifier filters, drink plenty of fluids and, if possible, leave.
Residents in Wahiawa, Mililani and parts of Leeward Oahu said they could see and smell the smoke in their neighborhoods.
Steven Butler, who lives in the 2200 block of California Avenue in Wahiawa, said the air quality was “real bad” and added that his eyes were burning Tuesday morning due to the heavy smoke.
“Inside the house, everything, all our clothes smells like smoke,” Butler said. “Usually I’m OK … but last night (Monday) it just finally got to me. And I just had violent sneezing. I was just overloaded.”
In Mililani, resident Dean Hazama said he had to close his windows and turn on the air conditioning to avoid the smell of the smoke.
“This morning (Tuesday) was probably the worst for my area because the smoke was just sitting all over the whole place,” said Hazama, who lives in Mililani Mauka. “I was kind of surprised.”
In Kapolei, resident Kanani Wond said she also saw the smoke and could smell it in her house throughout the night.
Butler said his house did not sustain damage from the blazes but added that he still had his bags packed in case he and his family needed to evacuate.
The 450-acre wildfire that began Saturday in the Ewa Forest Reserve was considered 10 percent contained Tuesday morning. Thick smoke had prevented an accurate aerial assessment.
Honolulu firefighters were stationed on Nonohe Street at the end of California Avenue on Tuesday to provide structure protection.
About 40 state Department of Land and Natural Resources personnel, assisted by federal firefighters and eight helicopters, were working out of the Navy Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific near the blaze.
The helicopters, provided by the state and Army, dumped water on the wildfire, which was burning in the Poamoho section of the forest reserve.
Firefighters faced challenging situations, including steep terrain and dry and windy conditions, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins.
Jenkins said the wildfire is considered one incident with several “spot fires,” with one reported Sunday near the 2200 block of California Avenue and the other near the Schofield Barracks East Range. He said the spot fires were contained and under control Tuesday.
