Burning Sugar Cane Pile Mistaken as Brush Fire

Photo by Wendy Osher.

Maui firefighters responded to multiple reports of a fire above Pāʻia Town on Christmas Eve. The incident was reported at 7:23 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016.

Callers reported seeing the fire from as far away as Hāna Highway.

Pāia firefighters arrived on scene at 7:30 p.m. to find the fire above the Pāia Elementary School, and about a quarter mile east of Baldwin Avenue, on Holomua Road.

Maui Fire Services Chief Edward Taomoto said the fire was actually a pile of leftover harvested sugar cane that had not been taken to the mill.

The 30 foot wide by 450 foot long row of stacked cane was burning near Holomua Road in a previously harvested field.

A fire crew from Makawao and two water tankers from Kahului assisted in extinguishing the burning sugar cane pile. Crews had the fire under control at 7:41 and extinguished at 9:18 p.m.

The cause of the fire was undetermined. No structures were threatened.