Maui firefighters contain 90% of Maalaea brush fire
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this Oct. 2, 2109 photo, a wildfire above Maalaea blackened the slopes of the West Maui Mountains.
A 4,100-acre brush fire in Maalaea mauka that started Wednesday is now about 90% contained, Maui firefighters said.
Maui firefighters and Hawaii’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife continued with mop-up operations today and planned to continue doing so until sundown, a Maui Fire Department spokesman said. Maui firefighters were focusing on securing the perimeter, and they will monitor the fire overnight.
The brush fire started Wednesday morning and grew to 4,100 acres by the evening, prompting evacuations and emergency road closures.
The American Red Cross reported approximately 540 people took shelter at Maui High School and 22 at Princess Nahienaena Elementary School in Lahaina as of midnight Wednesday. The Maui Visitors Bureau provided inflatable mattresses for the shelters.
No injuries were reported, Maui County officials said Thursday.
Maui’s Department of Parks and Recreation also closed Papalaua campground until further notice due to damage from the wildfire. The department will reassess the campground on Monday.
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