HFD Snuffs out Small Brushfire in N. Hawaii, Road Remains Closed

Hawai‘i Island Police are advising the public to avoid Kawaihae Road between Akoni Pule Highway and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway for at least the next two hours due to a brush fire.

Hawai‘i Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Grace said the brushfire, which ignited directly across from the entrance to Spencer Beach Park, had been contained and extinguished as of 11:40 a.m. Friday.

The brushfire was small, Grace said, encompassing what he guessed was around 1,000 square feet. Eight firefighters in four trucks from the South Kohala and Waimea stations responded to the call.

There was no vehicle collision at the scene, Grace continued. However, the Hawai‘i Police Department said in a statement on the road closure that a vehicle traveling on Kawaihae Road experienced a tire blowout, which caused the vehicle’s rim to emit sparks that ignited the brush fire.