Quickly rising waves necessitate rescues

Ocean Safety personnel rescued a 36-year-old man who nearly drowned while snorkeling in waters off Three Tables beach, one of several rescues that resulted from quickly rising waves along the North Shore on Sunday.

Lifeguards used watercraft to pull the man from the water and transport him to Waimea Bay, where paramedics treated him before taking him in serious condition to a hospital.

Ocean Safety spokeswoman Shayne Enright said waves quickly rose from 2 to 12 feet on the North Shore on Sunday. By 4 p.m. North Shore lifeguards had executed 40 rescues and taken about 2,000 preventive actions on the beach and in the water.

Fire scorches 10 acres on Valley Isle

Gusty wind and steep terrain contributed to the rapid spread of a brush fire along a hillside in Happy Valley in Wailuku on Sunday.

The fire was reported at 2 p.m., and responding fire crews found the blaze moving through dense brush and threatening homes on Mokuhau Road, Maika Street and Maunalei Place. It was brought under control by 7:30 p.m. Fire officials estimated that up to 10 acres of brush had burned. However, there were no reports of injuries, and no structures were damaged.

Investigators believe it was started by electrical power equipment that feeds a water department substation. Crews planned to attend to hot spots and monitor the site overnight.

Meanwhile, Central Maui residents were being asked to conserve water because the fire may have damaged a well site, Maui County said.

The county’s Department of Water Supply said the fire affected one of the area’s primary wells. Affected locations include Waihee, Waiehu, Happy Valley, Wailuku, Waikapu and Kahului.