Honolua and Paia Fires Reported Early Saturday

Maui Fire Departmemt Press Release:

Early Saturday morning, May 7, 2016, Maui fire crews responded to a cane fire in Paia and a brush fire at Honolua Bay in West Maui.

At 12:21 a.m. firefighters responded to multiple reports of a cane fire to the rear of the Paia Gym on Baldwin Avenue. Residents from nearby Skill Village reported seeing the orange glow and hearing the crackling of fire.

Paia firefighters arrived at 12:35 a.m. and found just under one acre of sugar cane on fire above the Paia Gym and on the Kahului side of Baldwin Avenue. Crews brought the fire under control at 12:50 a.m. and had it extinguished by 1:15 a.m. Two water tankers from Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar also responded, but the fire was under control by the time they arrived.

The cause of the fire was undetermined.

Crews from Paia, Makawao and a Kahului water tanker responded to the fire.

At 3:44 a.m. West Maui fire crews responded to a brush fire at Honolua Bay.

Napili firefighters arrived just before 4 a.m. and found a fully involved vehicle fire on Honoapiilani Highway in Honolua Bay.

The fire spread to nearby brush and ran up the side of a steep hillside at mile post 33. The slope rose about 200 feet to old Maui Land & Pine pineapple fields and was near vertical in some areas.

Honoapiilani Highway was closed for several hours while crews battled the fire from the highway and from the fallow pineapple fields at the top of the hill.

The fire department’s Air 1 helicopter was brought in at 7 a.m. to assist crews having difficulty on the steep terrain.

The vehicle fire is what caused the brush fire, but it is unknown how the vehicle caught fire. About 4 acres was scorched in the early morning blaze.

Firefighters called the fire contained at around noon Saturday, but will wait until tomorrow morning to call it extinguished. Crews will make checks periodically through the night.

Along with the Napili crew, an engine, water tanker and battalion chief from Lahaina also responded to the incident.

Photo Credit: Fire Capt. Kaulana Kino

Honolua brush fire. Photo Credit: Fire Capt. Kaulana Kino

Honolua brush fire. Photo Credit: Fire Capt. Kaulana Kino

Honolua brush fire. Photo Credit: Fire Capt. Kaulana Kino

Honolua brush fire. Photo Credit: Fire Capt. Kaulana Kino