Waiawa brush fire closes H-2 freeway

Firefighters expect to continue battling a 100-acre brush fire on Waiawa Ridge today and launch a flyover at first light, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

The fire, which started yesterday about 3:25 p.m., had been contained to an inaccessible area, but flared up again last night, driven by strong winds, Seelig said.

About 50 firefighters fought last night to keep the fire from spreading and requested help from federal firefighters, Seelig said. Crews closed down the H-2 freeway in both directions around 9:45 p.m.

Six engines, four tankers and a helicopter worked until dark, Seelig said. No structures were threatened by the fire, of unknown cause.

The Waiawa fire was one of six wildfires yesterday on Oahu, including small blazes in Kaneohe, two in Ewa Beach, one in Makakilo and another on the makai side of Makua.

Molokai fire kept out of rare species' habitat

With additional assistance from Hawaii National Guard helicopters, firefighters stopped a brush blaze from burning into forest watershed areas on Molokai where there are endangered species.

“;We're continuing to build a fire line so it doesn't move,”; state forestry official Glenn Shishido said.

The fire has burned an estimated 8,000 acres in central Molokai, including portions of the state Makakupaia Forest Reserve and the Kamakou Preserve.

County firefighters were continuing to battle flare-ups, but managed to maintain the perimeter at lower elevations. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Fire Battalion Chief James Kino said he expected county firefighters to continue efforts to contain the blaze for at least a couple of days, in light of the kind of hardwood trees damaged from the fire.

“;Kiawe takes a long time to burn up,”; Kino said.

Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters carrying buckets of water helped in battling the fire in forested areas for several hours.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service in Honolulu yesterday issued a “;Red Flag Warning”; on brush fires in parts of the state, including Oahu's Leeward Coast and the North Shore in light of anticipated high winds through 5 p.m. Thursday.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Rape attempt will not lead to life term

HILO » A Big Island judge says a man who was on parole for murder when he tried to rape a 12-year-old girl in a church where he was music director won't be sentenced to life in prison.

Circuit Judge Glenn Hara held Monday that the prosecution failed to prove Peter Kalani Bailey would pose a danger to the community if released.

Deputy Prosecutor Michael Kagami contended the proof was in the fact that Bailey was convicted of four counts of first-degree attempted sexual assault last year, five years after being paroled.

Bailey was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 1979 after being convicted of murder for killing a 17-year-old Oahu girl.

Bailey, 51, is to be sentenced in October for the sex offenses. Each carries a maximum 20-year prison term.