Battle against Pahala fires continues

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

A 5,200-acre brush fire kept firefighters busy Wednesday as crews continue work to douse the blaze burning for nearly two weeks in Pahala.

A 5,200-acre brush fire kept firefighters busy Wednesday as crews continue work to douse the blaze burning for nearly two weeks in Pahala.

The makai fire, one of two brush fires burning since June 18 in the Pahala area, remains at 5,200 acres, said Hawaii Fire Department East Hawaii Battalion Chief Michael Hayashida. Though a perimeter has been established, the fire is listed as 60 percent contained.

A second 400-acre brush fire burning above Pahala off Cane Haul Road continues to burn but is listed at 95 percent contained, according to the department.

Firefighters were to remain at the scene throughout the night dousing an hot spots or flare ups outside the fires’ containment zones, Hayashida added.