Maui crews hope to beat fire today
Maui firefighters were hoping to put out a persistent brush fire in the West Maui mountains sometime today.
The fire has scorched about 4,000 acres and caused evacuations and highway closures since it began early Friday.
About 20 firefighters from the Maui Fire Department and the state Forestry Division assisted by helicopters battled the fire yesterday, said acting Battalion Chief Derrick Arruda.
About 90 percent of the fire is in the "mopping up" stage, Arruda said. Most of the firefighting is now taking place near the 3,000-foot level of the West Maui State Forest, where steep and rugged terrain makes it difficult to get heavy equipment in, said Glenn Shishido, a forest management supervisor with the state Forestry Division.
Windy conditions have made it difficult to contain the fire, Arruda said.
"Whenever we get a little bit ahead, (the winds) seem to kick up and stir it up again," he said.
The fire is not threatening any populated areas, Arruda said. Shishido said the fire burned close to native forest areas on Saturday, but firefighters were able to keep the flames away from areas where endangered plants and animals live.
Most of the work involves building fire breaks and moving in with hoses and shovels to put out hot spots, Shishido said.
The fire was first reported at 12:30 a.m. Friday north of Maalaea near Honoapiilani Highway and McGregor Point.
It closed the highway for most of the day on Friday and caused evacuations near the Maui Ocean Center.
Firefighters were able to protect power lines and the newly constructed Kaheawa Wind Power farm on Saturday.
