Unscheduled Sugar Cane Fire Burns 50 Acres

An unscheduled cane burn blackened 50 acres before being brought under control on Sunday, June 12, 2016.

The incident was reported at 3:20 p.m. off of Hāliʻimaile Road just below the Maui Trap & Gun Club on the Pāʻia side of the gulch.

Makawao firefighters arrived on scene at 3:34 p.m. and found a large fire burning in the middle of a sugar cane field; but because the fire was in the middle of a field with no easy access, firefighters could only monitor the fire until representatives from Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company arrived on scene.

Heavy equipment and water tankers from HC&S were brought in to cut firebreaks to prevent the blaze from spreading further.

The fire was contained by 4:50 p.m. The cause of the fire was undetermined.