Newswatch
By Star-Bulletin Staff
Police, Fire, Courts Rafter safely ashore after 9-hour search
A woman who fell off her raft made it safely ashore to Lanikai last night about nine hours after alerting authorities and touching off a search.Coast Guard and fire officials had searched for her after she called 911 on her cellular phone about 12:09 p.m.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Justin Acosta said the woman said she was too far out to swim to the shoreline. The phone was registered to someone from California.
Acosta said it is unclear whether the woman was at Mokuleia along the North Shore or Mokulua off Lanikai.
Firefighters called off their air and shore search at 3 p.m.
A Coast Guard helicopter conducted a search for five hours without any sign of the woman, said Acosta.
The Coast Guard sent a C-130 plane to continue the search of the missing rafter yesterday.
LEEWARD OAHU
Firefighters battled three brush fires in Leeward Oahu yesterday.
35 acres scorched in 3 brush firesA brush fire started sometime before 8:30 a.m. near Roosevelt Avenue in Kalaeloa, said fire Capt. Kenison Tejada. Firefighters had the blaze under control in a half-hour. Tejada said the fire burned about five acres of brush.
Firefighters then responded to two brush fires that occurred within minutes of each other. At 2:15 p.m., firefighters responded to a brush fire near Kili Drive in Makaha. The fire was contained at 3:39 p.m. and burned an estimated 10 acres.
Firefighters responded to another brush fire, near Makua caves, at 2:22 p.m. Tejada said winds caused the fire to spread up the mountains and into the Makua Military Reservation. The blaze burned 20 acres and was under control at 4:48 p.m.
Meanwhile, fire officials are continuing their investigation into what caused three brush fires in Maili on Saturday. Tejada said the fires, which occurred within a mile and a little over an hour of each other, appeared suspicious.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Firefighters continued to battle a few hot spots last night from a brush fire that had burned more than 10,000 acres near South Point since Friday.
Big Island brush fire is deemed suspiciousFirefighters stopped the spread of the brush fire Saturday. Assistant Fire Chief Lloyd Narimatsu advised people to avoid driving to the area due to the dust in the air as a result of the fire.
The fire started at Kaalualu Bay and started to spread quickly due to gusty winds. Narimatsu said firefighters are still battling winds of up to 35 miles per hour.
Narimatsu said the fire appears suspicious and is still under investigation. Eyewitnesses have been interviewed by police.
The fire destroyed a home that was under construction. Narimatsu also said some cattle may have been lost.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
