West Maui resident Jan Ehrenkrook said she looked out her window at about 1 a.m. yesterday and saw a wall of flames from a brush fire coming over a hill.

“;And the wind was picking up,”; said Ehrenkrook, who thought her home was going to burn down.

State and county firefighters came to her aid. Firefighters fought successfully to save her home, at one point spraying foam around her residence, with the fire coming within 50 feet of her house, she said.

“;These guys are just wonderful. They're just a tireless bunch,”; she said.

The brush fire forced the evacuation of 100 Olowalu residents, including Ehrenkrook and her two dogs, and closed the major road between West Maui and Kahului for eight hours.

Ehrenkrook said last night that she could still see hot spots “;everywhere”; on the mountain.

“;It's a bit scary,”; she said.

The fire, not contained as of yesterday evening, had burned an estimated 1,100 acres between Olowalu and Ukumehame, including more than 100 acres of state forest land, authorities said.

State forestry official Glenn Shishido said the fire flared up yesterday morning and may have burned additional acres.

Honoapiilani Highway, the main road between West Maui and Kahului, was closed from 1:50 to 10 a.m. yesterday, forcing visitors to take the difficult back road through Kahakuloa to catch morning flights.

The Pacific Whale Foundation operated a boat shuttle between Lahaina and Maalaea Harbor so residents and visitors could go to the airport or do other things.

Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines officials said there appeared to be no noticeable problems involving visitors missing flights, and the state said there were no delayed flights.

Several helicopters assisted in water drops in mountainous areas where parts of the fire were above the 1,000-foot level.

Fifteen state forestry firefighters joined 25 county firefighters in battling the blaze, and five bulldozers were used to cut firebreaks along Honoapiilani Highway and the Olowalu residential area.

Emergency shelters were opened at the War Memorial Center gym and Lahaina Civic Center gym.

The fire was first reported at 2:25 p.m. Monday in the Ukumehame area, and residents and businesses in Olowalu were advised to prepare for potential evacuation, the county said.

Only a few people stayed overnight at the gym in Lahaina, a resident said.

Fire officials reported light wind conditions with wind shifts remaining a worry.

Ehrenkrook said her family feels fortunate that their house has survived two recent fires, the last one in June 2007.