Fire crews contain
blaze in Maui highlandsHelicopters join the effort to save
a fragile mountain ecosystem
WAILUKU >> Lighter winds helped state forestry workers and county firefighters hold the perimeter of a blaze along the slopes of the West Maui Mountains mauka of the Sandalwood Golf Course yesterday.
The fire, which charred between 750 and 1,200 acres of brush and forest, was not spreading last evening, but some hot spots were still burning.
"We will be monitoring the fire overnight," Assistant Fire Chief Alan Cordeiro said.
County firefighters appeared to contain the movement of the blaze to the west by maintaining a firebreak along a ridge.
About 10 state forestry workers, dropped by helicopter in the mountains, created a firebreak at the 3,000-foot level to keep the blaze out of native forest areas and away from pockets of endangered species.
Four helicopters, including a large Chinook from the Hawaii Army National Guard, made water bucket drops.
Deputy Fire Chief Neal Bal said the Chinook, which flew in from Honolulu, made a significant contribution because it was capable of climbing to high elevations carrying a 2,000-gallon bucket.
"It's like dropping water from one of our tankers on the fire," Bal said.
Bal said volunteers from Goodfellow Bros. Inc. helped by creating firebreaks with their bulldozers.
The winds were blowing at about 15 mph yesterday, Bal said, down from 25 mph on Tuesday.
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. called firefighters at 5 a.m. Tuesday to report a sugar cane fire had started a brush blaze near the golf course.
The fire spread quickly along the mauka edge of the golf course and forced the evacuation of clubhouse workers Tuesday afternoon.
