Wildland Fires Blacken Three Acres on Mauna Kea
State crews today were continuing mop-up operations on a second brush fire burning near Keanakolu Road on the slopes of Mauna Kea.
The first fire, which was discovered last Thursday in an ohia forest, and a second found this week below the Humu`ula Trail, have burned a total of three acres, a spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources said Monday night.
She said the fire is persistent because in places there is green grass which dries out and is ignited by organic matter in the soil.
DLNR firefighters brought in a privately owned 5,000-gallon water truck from Waimea to assist the operation.
There were 21 personnel from the department’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife fighting the fire with the assistance of water drops from Hawaii County’s fire department.