Maui blaze destroys 2 homes, causes injury

A Maui fire believed to have started with children playing with fireworks destroyed two homes, damaged four others, injured a firefighter and displaced as many as 20 residents, according to the Maui Fire Department and the American Red Cross.

The department provided a preliminary damage estimate of more than $1 million but said the total was still being tallied.

Firefighters responded at about 4 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a fast-moving brush fire behind homes on Kawailani Circle in Kihei. The blaze had spread to the homes by the time firefighters arrived.

A witness heard children playing with fireworks behind the homes immediately before the fire began, the department said in a news release.

Fireworks remnants were found in the area.

A firefighter suffered an injury and was taken to the hospital, according to the department. The injury and the firefighter’s condition were not disclosed.

Red Cross spokeswoman Michele Liberty said a shelter for an estimated 17 to 20 people was opened Wednesday night at the Kihei Community Center. The Red Cross would be assisting those displaced by the fire with food, clothing and shelter.