UPDATE: Helicopters Douse 2 Acre Fire off Kahekili Hwy

Wailuku fire in fields above the Kahekili Highway. 4.4.17, PC: Cindy Willing O’Farrell

Update: 8:53 p.m. 4.4.17

Maui fire crews responded to a two acre brush fire in the old macadamia nut fields in Waiehu on Tuesday.

Light smoke was reported at 11:54 a.m. on Tuesday, April 4, 2017. Responding crews from Wailuku discovered the fire burning on the west side of the Kahekili Highway, between Waiehu Beach Road and Makaʻala Drive.

Waiehu brush fire, 4.4.17 by MFD.

The fire department utilized two helicopters to battle the blaze, which was located in overgrown brush.  Air assets were dispatched when ground crews reported difficulty in getting to the fire due to limited vehicular access.

Both helicopters were able to bring the fire under control by 2:30 p.m. and the fire was called extinguished at 4:25 p.m.

The cause of the fire was undetermined, but fire officials say a burned out truck was found in the burn area, which authorities say is known to be a dumping ground for vehicles.

A battalion chief, two engine companies, and a water tanker from Wailuku and Kahului responded to the fire along with the two helicopters.

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Fire crews were dispatched to a report of a brush fire in the macadamia nut fields off of the Kahekili Highway shortly after noon on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

Crews utilized the department’s Air 1 helicopter to do water drops in the area, since thick brush and inaccessible terrain prevented ground access for firefighting equipment.

By around 2 p.m., firefighters had a good handle on the fire, but were still trying to obtain ground access through an easement to better assess the area with a bulldozer.