Brushfire South of Punaluu Beach Under Control

***Updated 4:10 p.m.***

County firefighters today continued mop-up operations to extinguish hot spots inside the perimeter of a brush fire that blackened about 12 acres near Punaluu Beach Tuesday night.

Firefighters arriving at the scene at 6:03 p.m. Tuesday found a fire with a 75-foot front moving through brush and trees along the shoreline just south of the beach.

The fire was being driven by east-northeasterly winds of 25-35 mph, said fire Capt. Curt Yamashita of the Pahala Fire Station.

It took about two hours of efforts by personnel from the Pahala station and volunteer firefighters to get the fire under control.

Vehicles with off-road capabilities were used to suppress the head of the fire while other equipment was utilized to secure the roadway separating the shore from the SeaMountain Golf Course, and to keep the fire from the Colony One condominiums further mauka.

The cause of the fire was unknown, Yamashita said.