JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Firefighters made their way up the Ewa face of the crater as a Fire Department helicopter doused embers. Police questioned five boys who were skateboarding near the base of Diamond Head just before the blaze started yesterday at 3:42 p.m., but made no arrests.

Dozens of firefighters
called to large,
suspicious blaze

Nearby residents say it is the
biggest brush fire on the Honolulu
landmark in recent memory

Firefighters battled a quick-moving brush fire on Diamond Head yesterday that threatened to spread into the landmark crater.

A Honolulu Fire Department spokesman said the fire was suspicious, and police questioned five boys who were skateboarding on a concrete slab near the base of Diamond Head just before the blaze started at 3:42 p.m. Police said they had no suspects.

About four acres of brush were burnt, and the blaze was contained within about an hour, said Fire Battalion Chief Peter Gaskell. Nearly 40 firefighters helped, and the department's Air One helicopter assisted with water drops.

Flames got to the crater's ridge line, Gaskell said, but were stopped before they spilled into the crater. "We were able to catch it in time," he said, adding that there have been a few small brush fires on Diamond Head this year, but yesterday's was by far the biggest.

The blaze, which threatened no structures or homes, was on the mauka side. Police evacuated Diamond Head of hikers but could not say how many. Workers at the state Civil Defense office, which is in the crater, were told to go home about 20 minutes early for fear the smoke would be overwhelming.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Firefighters doused flames as they made their way up the Ewa face of Diamond Head yesterday afternoon. A blaze started at 3:42 p.m. and was contained with the help of 35 to 40 firefighters in what fire officials said was the biggest brush fire on the face of Diamond Head in recent memory.

Resident Yasuyo Ishii leaned on her fence yesterday, watching the fire eat up Diamond Head's dry brush and grasses. She said she has lived at the landmark's base for 40 years and had never seen it sustain such a bad blaze.

Kira Jensen, who has lived in the area for four years, agreed. She was heading home when she saw smoke on Diamond Head and called 911. By the time she pulled into her driveway, the smoke had turned into fast-moving flames that "shot straight" up the mountain.

Residents and tourists lined Diamond Head Road yesterday, watching the fire feed and eventually die. "It's very shocking," said visitor Raja Natarajan, to see such a well-known landmark on fire. Natarajan had wanted to hike Diamond Head but saw the flames and decided to head back into Waikiki.

Brandon and Lieng Pho of Ohio had soft drinks in hand as they watched firefighters work to douse the flames. The newlyweds had set aside the second day of their honeymoon for the popular hike. "We'll try to come on Friday," Brandon Pho said with a shrug.