Public’s Help Sought in Reporting Fire Activity

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Several brush fires reported over the past week have been deemed suspicious by state and county agencies.

Early Wednesday morning, the most recent of the fires broke out south of the Kona hunter check station in the Puuanahulu Game Management Unit. The small brush fire was reportedly extinguished quickly by fire crews.

A Hawai’i County Fire Department investigator was called to the scene of the fire to look into the possibility of this fire and three others over the past weekend being set intentionally.

The series of brush fires, totaling more than 775 acres, began last Thursday. Multiple agencies, including the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, report that the fires have all been contained, but that occasional smoke may appear from the interior.

Along with the fires on state land, an additional fire was extinguished last Thursday along the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. HFD West Hawai’i Batallion Chief Joseph Farias told Big Island Now last week that the fire, along with the others, appeared to be suspiciously set.

The Hawai’i Police Department and HFD are asking the public to report any suspicious activity in the Puuanahulu region to authorities. Anyone with information on the fires or who spots unusual activity should call 911 or 643-DLNR.