Crater Road reopens amid still active 574-acre fire; motorists urged to use caution

County of Maui officials announced today, July 24, 2024, that Crater Road is scheduled to reopen at noon; however, if conditions become unsafe, the road will again be closed. 

Portions of Crater Road have been closed since July 10 due to the ongoing Crater Road fire in Upper Kula, which remains at 80% containment and 574 acres.

Because the fire is not yet fully contained or extinguished, County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety officials are urging residents and visitors to use caution when driving Crater Road as fire apparatus, water tankers and personnel may be in close proximity and/or utilizing the road. Access to the burned area is restricted because it is private property and many fire hazards exist. 

MFD urges motorists to use caution on Crater Road. If stopping alongside Crater Road or exiting the vehicle near the fire scene, risks to health and safety include the following:

• Stopping your vehicle along the road to sightsee leaves it vulnerable to being hit from behind. Please watch speed and be alert for other stopped vehicles.
• Ash pits, or underground hot spots, are hard to visually detect but can cause serious burns to the feet, legs and even torso. With the large number of hot spots on this fire scene, not all may have been extinguished.
• Fire-weakened trees can fall without warning.  A tree may look normal from the outside, but fire may have entered through a small hole or knot and burned the inside, leaving it hollow and susceptible to falling unexpectedly. Any tree inside of or adjacent to the fire perimeter should be treated as a hazard.

When a fire is 100% contained, it does not mean it has been extinguished. It means that firefighters have the blaze fully surrounded. A fire is declared “extinguished” when fire personnel believe there is nothing left burning.

Haleakalā National Park is under federal jurisdiction. For information on park access and hours, visit https://www.nps.gov/haleakala.