Maui firefighters discovered a burned body next to a truck at the site of a brush fire in Olowalu today.

The firefighters were mopping up after the brush fire that burned 8 acres along Honoapiilani Highway between the Olowalu dump and Kaiheleku-Launiupoko.

The body and the truck appeared to have been burned during the fire.

But the cause of death is pending the result of an autopsy, according to fire officials. The victim has not been identified.

Police opened an investigation.

The fire broke out at about 2:10 a.m. mauka of the highway in Olowalu and spread quickly because of strong winds in the Wailuku and Napili directions, jumping the highway to burn a small area of brush on the makai side.

Police closed the highway for about an hour during the initial effort to contain the blaze.

Firefighters contained the fire by 7:30 a.m., but crews remained on scene to extinguish hot spots.

The cause of the brush fire has not been determined.