Update: Brush fire in Ka‘ū remains contained; no livestock or pastureland lost

Friday update at 7:23 a.m.: The 30-acre brush fire burning in Ka‘ū remained contained throughout the night, and no pastureland or livestock were lost in the flames as of this morning.

According to Hawai‘i Fire officials, relative humidity increased as of first light but there was no active burning.

“We will be keeping an eye on it today to make sure there are no flare-ups,” said Deputy Fire Chief Eric Moller.

Original post: A brush fire burning in Ka‘ū has scorched approximately 30 acres this afternoon.

The fire has been successfully contained to the east of the highway, and firefighting efforts are now focused on preventing its spread to the west.

First responders were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:15 p.m. where they promptly initiated efforts to contain the fire and ensure the safety of the public. Approximately 20 vehicles were located south of the fire’s path.

Due to the coordinated actions of both police and fire personnel, all vehicles were safely escorted out of the area, and no injuries have been reported.

No structures or lives are currently at risk. The blaze does pose a threat to livestock and pasturelands in the area. Local ranchers are on-site and actively assisting fire crews in safeguarding these resources.

Sustained winds of 19 mph, with gusts of up to 24 mph, have presented challenges to firefighting operations, but crews remain dedicated to containing and extinguishing the fire. The Department of Public Works is also on-site with tanker trucks to assist.

The Hawaiʻi County Emergency Operations Center has been partially activated to support the response and coordinate resources as necessary. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide timely updates to the public as more information becomes available.

Residents are encouraged to visit the County’s hazard map at https://tinyurl.com/mt6bw93e and sign up for notifications through the Everbridge platform to receive the latest information directly.

There are no road closures at this time.