Maui firefighters spent much of Friday battling a 300-acre brush fire in Olowalu.
The fire prompted police to close Honoapiilani Highway in both directions from the Pali Tunnel and Ehehene Street for about an hour early Friday evening due to smoke crossing over the highway.
Earlier, three homes in the Olowalu-Ukumehame area were evacuated due to the advancing fire.
One structure on Ehehene Street was threatened, but fire crews and bulldozers from the county Public Works Department, West Maui Land Co. and Goodfellow Brothers Construction were able to keep the fire from reaching the homes.
As of 6:30 p.m., crews were cutting firebreaks, protecting another home on Paekii Place and trying to prevent the fire from reaching the Ukumehame Firing Range.
The Fire Department’s Air 1 helicopter and two private helicopters from Windward Aviation made water drops by air while bulldozers and water tankers from Maui County Public Works, West Maui Land Co. and Goodfellow Brothers Construction assisted in the firefighting efforts.
Thirteen firefighters and heavy equipment from the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife also contributed to the effort.
In all, about 81 personnel from all of the assisting agencies, including MFD, were on the scene Friday afternoon.
The fire is mauka of Honoapiilani Highway between mileposts 12 and 14, roughly between Olowalu Village Road and the Ukumehame Firing Range.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. No injuries have been reported.
Police advised motorists to limit their travels to and from the West Maui area as traffic is expected to be heavy and moving slowly.
Residents can stay abreast of traffic information by signing up for Road Closure Notifications from the Maui County website at mauicounty.gov. Notifications can be received by email and mobile phone text message. Prerecorded notifications are available 24 hours a day on the Maui County Automated Information System by calling 986-1200.
