Highway reopens as firefighters battle five fires

NORTH KONA — Firefighters battled five brush fires Thursday afternoon along Highway 190, also known as Mamalahoa Highway, in North Kona and South Kohala.

The brush fires were located near mile markers 22, 19, 16 and 15.5 and the highway’s intersection with Waikoloa Road in South Kohala. All of the fires were located on the makai side of the road, with the exception of the fire near mile marker 15.5.

The fire near the 15.5 mile marker was estimated at 25 acres, while the remaining four fires were kept small due to favorable conditions and quick response times. The fire burned primarily in state Department of Land and Natural Resources land.

The roadway, which provides a mauka route between Waimea and Kailua-Kona, reopened about 5:30 p.m. after closing a couple of hours between Kaiminani Drive in North Kona and the Daniel K. Inouye Highway in South Kohala.

The Hawaii Police Department asked anyone with information regarding suspicious activity relative to these fires to call the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.