Perched in the hills above Mililani Mauka on her 128-acre estate, with a 6,000-square-foot home, lychee farm and native flora, Sharon Geary was on constant watch Monday as smoke billowed up from a wildland fire she estimated was less than a mile east-northeast of her home.
“It’s been eerily darker than usual, but you definitely smell the smoke in the air,” she said, adding that helicopters were constantly flying overhead to make water drops.
In three hours the blaze in the remote, mountainous area above Mililani Mauka that had consumed an estimated 60 acres by 3 p.m. had literally spread like wildfire to 160 acres in size at 6 p.m. and was 35% contained.
The Honolulu Fire Department said it would send up a drone to conduct a fire watch beginning at 8 p.m. and that an air reconnaissance would be done at 7 a.m. today.
The fire continued to move east on the ridge above Waikakalaua Stream.
HFD called a midday news conference in response to the public concern over smoke and falling ash in residential areas of Mililani Mauka below.
The fire, first reported at 5:51 a.m. Monday, was 40% contained by 3 p.m., but no homes or structures were threatened, nor were any calls for evacuation made.
In a striking photograph, Cynthia McArthur posted a picture on Facebook of a perfectly formed, intact black fern frond she held in her hand with the comment, “Blackened ferns raining down in Mililani.”
McArthur, who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, whose mascot is Smoky Bear, said a big part of her job is preventing fires.
She said, “Usually, ferns like really wet soil,” she said. “We’re used to seeing fire burn through grass, so it’s unusual that the forest is so dry it’s burning up there.
“That’s why this image stood out to me.”
And the fact that it can spread the fire downwind, she said, “is too close.”
She shot the photos of the fern, piles of ash on the ground and smoke on the Mililani town side, makai of the freeway in an area called 16 Acres where she lives.
It’s unclear what native plants and animals live in the location of the fire, but Geary said the area is typically quite lush and green around her home, but drought has affected the area. Much of the acreage is in preservation land. She said there are some natives like koa, native sandalwood, pukiawe, mountain naupaka and ohia.
A Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesman said the area is not DLNR land.
HFD Assistant Chief Kevin Mokulehua said it appears the area is city-state co-op land and that the fire was approaching federal land under the Department of the Interior.
He said during the midday news conference that the prevailing light winds and green foliage helped prevent the fire from spreading more.
At that time the wildfire was spreading slowly eastward and away from homes.
Because of the remote mountainous location of the fire and the inability to use firefighters on the ground, the incident commander released most of the ground units.
Initially, 10 units with 30 personnel had responded, with the first unit arriving at 6:12 a.m.
HFD’s Air 1 and Air 2, along with two Army Black Hawk helicopters and a Division of Forestry and Wildlife helicopter, made several water drops starting early Monday morning.
The Army dipped into its own water supply at Schofield Barracks and also sent its CH-47 Chinook aircraft with a carrying capacity of 2,000 gallons of water.
Since they were too far from the ocean, HFD and DOFAW helicopters scooped water in their much smaller 100-gallon buckets from a portable buoy wall to create a large pool set up at a community park in Mililani Mauka.
HFD said Monday afternoon that DOFAW inserted ground personnel into the area for reconnaissance and to secure a perimeter.
Geary said helicopters were constantly flying overhead to make water drops and that Honolulu Fire Department and Division of Wildlife personnel had been coming through the property.
Mokulehua said he did not have a cause of the fire.
McArthur said that it might be best to discourage Halloween trick-or-treaters from Mililani Mauka today since there is only one way in and out.
The National Weather Service said the trades were backing off and lighter winds are in store, with two or three more days of light winds.
That is good news for firefighters, but “unfortunately, it will bring some of the smoke down at lower elevations,” and the leeward side will also see some smoke.
NWS lead forecaster Sam Houston said, “Fire can generate its own wind if it’s hot enough.”
He said he could see the heat signature from the fire.
The humidity is going up tonight, but no rain is expected, he said Monday.
HFD recommends sheltering in place or a place with air conditioning for those affected by smoke.
Anyone experiencing difficulty breathing should call 911 immediately.
