 HENRY ELLINGTON / COURTESY TO THE STAR-BULLETIN A blaze in the hills of Maili forced the temporary evacuation yesterday of a half-dozen houses and 200 patients and staff at the Waianae Coast clinic. CLICK FOR LARGE |
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Waianae fire threatens health clinic and homes
A fast-moving brush fire and accompanying smoke forced the evacuation of about 200 people from the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and residents from six Maili homes yesterday afternoon.
"It literally spread across the mountainside within 10 to 15 minutes," said Edward Ho, emergency room operations manager and disaster preparedness coordinator. "We had essentially minutes to act."
Ho said they were seeing patients in the emergency room when they smelled smoke and received a call from the assistant director.
 HENRY ELLINGTON / COURTESY TO THE STAR-BULLETIN A fire department helicopter drops water on a blaze in the hills of Maili. CLICK FOR LARGE |
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The health center's chief executive officer, Richard Bettini, said high winds blew the fire from the Maili side, and "smoke came very thickly and very quickly."
The health center shut down its clinics and cleared out all nonemergency patients and staff in an orderly fashion.
About 100 patients and 100 employees were leaving while emergency vehicles were coming up the driveways, Bettini said.
But the ER remained open, and its rapid medical evaluation clinic (an extension of the ER) and medical personnel were consolidated.
The fire blackened about 35 acres along the mountainside above the health center and some houses on Mailiili and Paakea roads, getting as close as 50 to 100 yards from them, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.
 CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COMA firefighter mopped up hot spots in Waianae yesterday afternoon after a brush fire erupted near the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, forcing the evacuation of the center and six nearby homes. CLICK FOR LARGE
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About 45 city firefighters and 10 federal firefighters battled the fire, which began shortly before the first alarm at 1:21 p.m. A fire helicopter made numerous water drops, scooping sea water from the nearby ocean. The fire was brought under control by 2:50 p.m.
The health center, however, was preparing for brush fire season.
When the fire came, a backhoe operator was 10 feet from completing a 15-foot-wide fire trail and terracing cut along the mountainside above the health center, Bettini said. The fire break was begun two weeks ago.
Seelig advises residents to clear brush around their homes and also to remove flammable materials from under and around their houses.
