KAPALUA, MAUI >> Amid continuing hot weather, drought and strong tradewinds, firefighters across the islands are continuing to battle wildfires.
On Maui, firefighters responded to a new brush fire on the island that brought on closures on several roads Monday. According to a release by the Maui Fire Department, the agency was alerted at 1:55 p.m. of a fire spreading near the Maui Veterans Highway and south of the Maui Humane Society. As strong tradewinds blew at 20-25 miles per hour, the firefighters described it as “fast moving brush fire.”
Multiple fire engines and aircraft responded as firefighters battled the blaze. As the flames spread, the Maui Police Department closed Veterans Highway from North Kihei to Hansen roads shortly after 2:30 p.m., and the Maui Emergency Management Agency sent out alerts on the brush fire and traffic closure urging people to avoid the area.
The Maui Fire Department said the wildfire was 70% contained as of about 3:35 p.m. and was not advancing after burning about 35 acres and that the highway was reopened around 4:40 p.m. Firefighters remained on the scene monitoring the perimeter for flare-ups.
At 4 p.m. the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency issued an alert for a brush fire within the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area off of Daniel K. Inouye Highway. The 4 p.m. alert reported the brush fire was near the 41-mile marker of the highway and that smoke was visible in the area.
“Fire personnel are on scene and actively fighting the fire,” said the alert. Another brush fire in the area was also reported to have broken out at 7 a.m. Friday.
The Army issued a statement at the time saying military training had been halted and service members evacuated from the area. No injuries or structural damage have been reported from either earlier fire.
On Oahu, firefighters are also still battling the Mililani Mauka fire in the Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge. No people or buildings have been threatened, but the usually lush rainforest is home to 22 species listed as endangered or threatened by the U.S. government, include iiwi and elepaio birds and the Hawaiian hoary bat. As much as 2.5 square miles is estimated to have burned since it was first spotted Oct. 30.
The fires come just months after the historic wildfires that ravaged Maui in August. Those fires began Aug. 8 as strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which was moving south of Hawaii, battered the islands. The wind blew the fires quickly, straining firefighting resources across Maui as firefighters tried to contain the flames in multiple places.
Most of the historic town of Lahaina burned in a fire that killed at least 99 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. More than 20 homes also burned in the Upcountry community of Kula. Authorities are still sorting through the rubble, and thousands remain homeless with an uncertain road to recovery.
A wind advisory is in place for portions of Maui and Hawaii counties through 6 p.m. today due to east wind of 20 to 35 mph, with localized gusts over 50 mph. The advisory covers North and South Kohala as well as the Kau and Puna districts and interior areas of Hawaii island.
Some had hoped the arrival of the rainy season would bring a respite from the fires. But in October the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the wet-season rainfall outlook, with little relief in sight from Hawaii’s drought. Due to El Nino conditions, Hawaii’s current drought is expected to continue well into 2024 and possibly even into the 2024 dry season.
Hawaii’s dry season lasts from May to September, while the wet season usually lasts from October to April. Hawaii is expected to continue to experience widespread moderate drought, with some portions of the islands experiencing severe to exceptional drought. That in turn means that dry vegetation could continue to provide potential fuel for out-of-season brush fires.
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Star-Advertiser staff writer Nina Wu contributed to this report.
