Nanakuli fire claims
1,000 acres, nears preserve

Firefighters battled a stubborn brush fire on two fronts yesterday after it ravaged an estimated 1,000 acres since Tuesday in Nanakuli Valley and crept into Lualualei Valley.

"We were fighting two fire fronts, the main body in Nanakuli Valley," said fire Capt. Emmit Kane. "The Nanakuli fire encroached into Lualualei, migrating down the hillside," burning between 60 and 70 acres.

Officials will determine whether to reopen area schools today. Yesterday morning, concerns over the haze from the fire prompted officials to shut down Nanakuli High and Intermediate and Nanakuli Elementary schools.

Kane said the fires, including several smaller brush fires that erupted Wednesday, are suspicious. Some residents reported seeing youths in the areas before the fires occurred.

City and federal firefighters cut back brush using picks, shovels, brush beaters and chain saws to create firebreaks to control the Nanakuli fire, Kane said. To get to the site, firefighters had to travel more than two hours, Kane said.

Kane said 85 to 90 federal and Honolulu firefighters "made good headway," leaving just "light wisps of spot fires in the back of the valley."

Marine, Honolulu Fire Department and state helicopters continued water drops yesterday, joined by a private helicopter hired by the Nature Conservancy and a large helicopter contracted by the Army.

"We want to make sure that the helicopters work on the places that we feel we need to protect," said Pauline Sato, the Nature Conservancy's Oahu program director.

About 15 staffers, mostly biologists, with the Nature Conservancy and the Army's Natural Resources staff cut firebreaks to preserve the 90 species of rare and endangered native plants and animals in its 3,582-acre Honouliuli Preserve.

The endangered Hawaiian tree snail and the rare lobelia are found only in the Waianae Mountains.

"The problem is the snails are right on the summit ridge, and we can't cut those trees down (to make a firebreak)," Sato said.

The American Red Cross has been providing meals for firefighters and Oahu Civil Defense volunteers battling the Nanakuli brush fire.

No homes have been evacuated, but the Red Cross is prepared to assist any families.