13 brush fires
blamed on arson

No property damage or injuries
were reported in the rash of blazes
set over the weekend
in the Waianae area

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

One or more arsonists kept firefighters in the Waianae area busy over the weekend with more than a dozen intentionally set brush fires since Friday evening, fire officials said.

There were seven fires reported between 12:37 Saturday afternoon and 2:30 p.m. yesterday. Those incidents followed six brush fires between 6 and 11 Friday night.

"The recurrence in a two consecutive 24-hour period makes it unusual," said Capt. Richard Soo, spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department.

No one was injured and no property was damaged by any of the fires, Soo said.

Saturday's fires broke out near the intersection of Ala Mahiko Street and Kili Drive, a small shopping center at 86-088 Farrington Hwy., behind Waianae Mall and Waianae High School.

Firefighters were called back to Waianae Mall a second time at 8:36 p.m. for another brush fire.

It took them 30 minutes to an hour to extinguish each fire.

Yesterday, according to Soo, firefighters spent half an hour putting out a fire along Pokai Bay Drive about 7:24 a.m.

Seven hours later, another brush fire occurred on Kili Drive, bringing the three-day total to 13, Soo said.

He encouraged the community to get involved.

"We need the community to contact police if they see anybody roaming around," Soo said.