UPDATE: Kīhei Brush Fire Contained, 1.25 Acres Burned Near Līloa Drive

Update: 6:59 a.m. Sept. 4, 2021

A brush fire in Kīhei burned 1.25 acres before it was extinguished on Friday evening near the Līloa Drive round-a-bout.

The fire was initially reported to be 3 x 12 feet, but had grown to over 100 x 100 feet by the time the first Maui Fire Department units arrived on scene due to strong and gusty winds.

Chris Stankis, Acting Information Officer with the Maui Fire Department said, “Gusty winds that changed direction multiple times during the incident.”

Portions of both Piʻikea Avenue and Līloa Drive were closed for a period of time to allow crews to work safely.

The fire as reported in the early afternoon, and was contained by 2:35 p.m. Crews continued mop-up operations and declared the fire extinguished at 6:46 p.m.

Stankis said the fire resulted in damages to the fence surrounding the property as well as damages to the trees and irrigation system on the Yees Orchard property. There were also damages to the irrigation system and landscaping on the greenway area. The dollar value of the damage is still being assessed.

Update:

As of 9:19 p.m., Līloa Drive is OPEN, according to Maui police.

Update: 4:31 p.m. Sept. 3, 2021

Piʻikea Avenue is OPEN; however, Līloa Drive is CLOSED from the round-a-bout to the Kīhei Wailea Medical Center.

Update: 3:38 p.m. Sept. 3, 2021

A brush fire in Kīhei is now contained at 1.25 acres, according to an update provided by Maui Fire officials.

The fire was first repotted earlier this afternoon in an area of brush near the Piʻikea Avenue and Līloa Drive intersection.

Multiple fire crews were dispatched to the scene, including Engine 6, Engine 10, Engine 14, Tanker 14, Ladder 14, Tanker 10, Hazmat 10, and Battalion Chief 1. The Department’s Air 1 helicopter was also used for air support as crews battled the blaze under shifting winds with gusts of up to 30 mph.

Mop-up operations were already underway at around 3:30 p.m.

Leeward areas of Maui and Molokaʻi are currently under a Red Flag Warning, meaning that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. A Red Flag Warning does not predict new fire starts.

Previous Post:

Maui fire crews are currently on the scene of a brush fire in South Maui. As of 12:10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, Maui police have initiated a road closure of Līloa Drive between Piʻikea Avenue and Kauhaʻa Street.

*This post will be updated as more information becomes available.