Update: Kaʻū road closures will remain in place through Monday

Update at 2:04 p.m. on Aug. 20: The Hawai’i Fire Department reports the brush fire in the Ka`u District at South Point continues to burn. 

All road closures are expected to remain in place through Monday.

Due to the brush fire, South Point Road at Ka Lea Road intersection is closed.

Local traffic can traverse South Point Road below Kamaoa Road while the area remains closed due to active fires and fire suppression activities.

Update at 9 a.m. on Aug. 20: A brush fire that broke out at about 2:30 p.m. in Kaʻū on Aug. 19 is about 40 percent contained.

Hawai’i Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Provencal said Sunday morning that about 135 acres are in the burn area right now, and that he’s hopeful the fire will be contained and the wind will cooperate.

Right now there are about 20 officals on the scene, with a mix of volunteer and county fire fighters, he said, and the fire is currently near Kaulana Bay near the boat ramp along Hawaiian Homeland property.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined, he said.

Hawai’i County Civil Defense says South Point Road below Kamaoa Road remains closed.

Motorists should avoid the area.

Update at 5:41 p.m. on Aug. 19: The runaway brush fire is not threatening structures and is staying south of the fork. It is not yet contained. Hawai‘i Fire Department is uncertain of acreage or cause of the blaze.

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense says firefighters will continue to monitor the blaze throughout the evening.

South Point Road below Kamaoa Road is open; however, the roadway remains closed at the Ka Lea Road junction.

Update at 3:45 p.m. Aug. 19: Big Island police report that the bottom of South Point Road near Ka Lae Point is closed because of the brush fire. The public is advised to avoid this area. 

Original story: According to Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, the Hawaiʻi Fire Department is responding to a brush fire near South Point Road in Kaʻū near Ka Lea Point.

The public is advised that South Point Road could be closed because of firefighting operations. Civil Defense recommends people leave the area if the road is safe to travel.

Updates about the situation will be provided as conditions change.