Brush fire briefly shuts down highway lanes

Police reopened both westbound lanes of Farrington Highway near Honokai Hale in Leeward Oahu on Wednesday after an earlier brush fire forced their closure and choked traffic in both directions.

Nine units with approximately 20 firefighters and the department’s Air 1 helicopter responded to the fire on the mauka side of the H-1 freeway before Honokai Hale at about 8 a.m.

When they arrived, the fire had scorched an acre of brush next to the westbound lanes. Heavy smoke caused poor visibility for passing motorists.

Police contraflowed traffic on the westbound lanes as firefighters battled the fire.

Honolulu Fire Spokesman Capt. Scot Seguirant said firefighters brought it under control at 8:51 a.m. and “fully contained” it shortly after 9:50 a.m.

The blaze scorched approximately three acres of brush. Seguirant said no structures were threatened and no injuries were reported.

Police reopened lanes just after 10:15 a.m.