Hundreds of travelers were evacuated from a section of the Interisland Terminal at Honolulu Airport yesterday after a grease fire at Burger King sent billows of smoke into the hallways and ticketing area.

Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Keoni Wagner said the check-in area of the terminal was closed for 45 minutes, prompting the company to push back the timetable for several flights to U.S. cities and to Kauai.

Brian Hann, visiting friends on Oahu, said he missed his flight to Los Angeles and hoped to catch the next flight out of Honolulu.

Hann, a former Waikiki resident, said he was not upset at the delay and enjoyed his visit to Hawaii.

“;It's so nice and kind of peaceful here,”; Hann said.

Hann said smoke was visible billowing outside the building, then inside, and then officials decided to evacuate people as a precaution.

Several visitors said while the evacuation went calmly, they were not told why they were being forced to leave the terminal and only learned later about the fire at Burger King.

The evacuation meant some of the travelers had to go to security again, causing longer lines.

State Air Rescue firefighters stationed at the airport put out the blaze in the grease vent at Burger King by the time city firefighters arrived, state transportation spokeswoman Tammy Mori said.

Mori said the area was closed for about an hour before being reopened at 2:45 p.m. because it needed to be ventilated and also swept by security before being reopened for travelers.