Waialua blaze out; crews kill more fires

The 6,700-acre conflagration started nearly a week ago, and others flared up

Fire officials pronounced the 6,700-acre Waialua fire contained at 6 p.m. yesterday after a grueling six-day fight.

Helicopter crews and firefighters continued through the afternoon to snuff out hot spots located in the mountainous areas of the Waialua flank of the Waianae Mountain Range, stretching from above Poamoho to above Waialua High School, fire Capt. Frank Johnson said.

"It covered an awful large area," he said, adding that the rough terrain made it difficult to fight.

But even as firefighters contained the Waialua fire, flare-ups and new brush fires kept other units busy yesterday.

The 300-acre Kaena Point brush fire flared up in the burned-out areas as it had off and on since Wednesday, Johnson said.

Firefighters contained another brush fire, behind Kahuku Hospital, in an hour and 45 minutes. The fire was reported at 2 p.m.

In the Mililani agricultural lots, two acres burned beginning at about 2:30 p.m. yesterday, but that fire was contained in less than an hour, Johnson said.

The fires posed no threats to homes or other structures, Johnson said.