UPDATE: Crews Battle 2 Fires: EKO & Pūlehu Rd

August 11, 2017, 4:07 PM HST
* Updated August 12, 11:41 AM

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Maui fire crews on Saturday remained on the scene of a fire at the Maui EKO Systems composting facility located on a leased portion of land at the Central Maui Landfill site. The fire was first reported at around 2:40 p.m. on Friday, August 11, 2017 amid reports of smoke coming from a green waste pile at the facility.

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Firefighters arrived at 2:53 p.m. to find Maui EKO personnel already working to control the fire with heavy equipment. Fire engines from Wailuku, Pāʻia and water tankers from Kahului and Wailea arrived to help extinguish the fire. Two water tankers from the County’s Public Works, Highways Division were also brought in to help.

It’s unknown what may have started the fire. A section of a green waste pile about 300 feet wide by 300 feet long and standing around 15 feet tall, was burned in the incident. Firefighters also were trying to
extinguish tires that had caught on fire near the green waste pile.

Maui EKO employees took over the firefighting operations at their facility at around 5 p.m. Friday
because fire crews were needed at a brush fire starting up about two miles mauka of the Central Maui Landfill, on Pūlehu Road.

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A water tanker from the Kahului fire station was called back to the Maui EKO Systems facility at 8 p.m. Friday night and again at 4 a.m. Saturday morning.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, the fire at the Maui EKO Systems facility was still actively burning and producing smoky conditions that was posing a safety concern for employees as well as the users of the County’s Central Maui Landfill, Refuse and Recycling Center.

Because of the hazard, the landfill facility will be closed today for drop-off of all trash, recyclables, and green waste materials until resuming normal operating hours on Monday, Aug. 14. The Central Maui Landfill is normally closed on Sundays.

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Fire crews are responding to a fire reported at the green waste section of the Central Maui Landfill at EKO Compost at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. Witnesses are also reporting a second fire located up Pūlehu Road right past the landfill fire, on the Kula side of the dump. It is unclear at this time if the fire is related to the original report.

At 6:30 p.m., Maui police reopened Pūlehu Road (370) saying the fire did not pose a hazard to motorists at this time. Police had closed the road at 5:17 p.m. from the Hansen/Pūlehu intersection to the intersection of Pūlehu Rd and Ōmaʻopio Rd due to the fire fighting efforts.

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Check back for full details which will be posted as they become available.

*Mahalo to all of those who sent us images and video. If you have photos or video of news happening on Maui, send it to us at newsdesk@mauinow.com.

Witnesses are also reporting a second fire located up Pūlehu Road right past the landfill fire. PC: ‎Sara Riley‎ (8.11.17)

Witnesses are also reporting a second fire located up Pūlehu Road right past the landfill fire. PC: ‎Sara Riley‎ (8.11.17)

Fire at Central Maui Landfill. PC: Joshua Rugg (8.11.17, around 2:30 p.m.)

Central Maui Landfill area fire, Aug. 11, 2017. Jim Lordan photo.