Massive brush fire engulfs car lot

Even as the daylong battle to extinguish a massive blaze at a large, used auto-parts lot drew to a close Friday afternoon, the brush fire that ignited it continued up the ridge into the Waianae Kai State Forest Reserve.

Honolulu firefighters had contained the massive brush fire Thursday night in the lower part of the valley — standing their ground to keep it from spreading to area homes and businesses, including Angel’s 24 Hour Towing and Used Auto Parts at 85-1330 Waianae Valley Road.

But strong and gusty wind at about 9 a.m. Friday fanned the flames toward the auto-parts lot, igniting vehicles and sending a large plume of black smoke skyward.

In an area prone to brush fires, owner Charles Joseph said the family-owned business, established in 1965, had never before been affected.

“This is the first time,” he said Friday.

Angel’s estimated it lost 400 to 500 vehicles, all owned by the company.

The fire at the lot was brought under control and smoldering spots extinguished at about 3 p.m. Capt. David Jenkins, spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department, said there no injuries.

Earlier the burning of tires and rows of old vehicles piled atop each other created popping sounds loud enough to awaken neighbors.

“It sounded like fireworks,” said Sonny Beebe, who was watching from a farm across from Angel’s.

“The flames were so high,” said another neighbor, who declined to give her name. “I never saw flames so high.”

She said she owns the property adjacent to Angel’s and that she and her family feared the fire would spread to their home.

“It was scary for everybody,” she said.

She said she and at least 30 family members and employees who work at a nearby farm she also owns left on their own.

Throughout the morning motorists and residents stopped and stood alongside Waianae Valley Road, taking photos and videos of the fire with their smartphones until the thick smoke became too much to bear.

Some curious motorists drove deeper into the valley to get a closer look.

The brush fire started after 7 p.m. Thursday near the Cultural Learning Center at Kaala Farms on Waianae Valley Road.

Firefighters arrived to find a 30-acre blaze spreading quickly in windy conditions.

By midday Friday their efforts clearly had taken a toll. At Waianae Boat Harbor, firefighters who battled the fire from Thursday night through Friday morning were visibly fatigued as they sat on a short rock wall.

“These guys are extremely exhausted,” said Jenkins, noting crews had traversed down steep terrain to fight the fire, safeguarding homes and businesses.

Eighteen units with a total of 50 firefighters fought the blaze, using tools to prevent it from reaching structures. The Fire Department reported that a fire front near homes at Piliuka Place was contained at about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The fire charred large areas of vacant land, torched trees and burned wooden fence posts.

The Fire Department later deployed 16 units with 38 firefighters in its second-day battle of what grew to a 2,000-acre brush fire.

Federal firefighters as well as 12 firefighters of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife assisted city firefighters.

The division also deployed three brush trucks equipped with 300-gallon tanks and pumps.

Jenkins said strong wind continued to pose a challenge for firefighters trying to control the blaze in the upper slopes in areas inaccessible by foot.

The Fire Department’s Air 1 helicopter conducted water drops on the upper slope of the ridge throughout the day, collecting water from a portable reservoir tank that can hold over 1,000 gallons.

Two helicopters contracted by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife joined Air 1 with their efforts to battle the fire with water drops.

By late afternoon Friday, Jenkins said the brush fire was 50 percent contained.

Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said they were unable to ascertain whether any native species in the upper mountain ridge had been affected. But DLNR later reported the brush fire had charred dry guinea grass, haole koa and non-native species on the lower part of the ridge.