Runaway brush fire closes Kawaihae Road, Queen Kaahumanu Highway, homes evacuated

A runaway brush fire blackened 1,500 acres and closed Kawaihae Road and Queen Kaahumanu Highway Saturday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of South Kohala homes and Spencer Beach Park. Firefighters were still battling the uncontained fire at dusk.

Evacuation centers were opened at the Waikoloa Community Park and the Thelma Parker Gym in Waimea, and The Bluffs at Mauna Kea Resort had some evacuations due to thick smoke, Civil Defense Chief Darryl Oliveira said. Kawaihae Village was also evacuated.

The fire jumped Kawaihae Road and was threatening structures at Kawaihae Transitional Housing, with fire fighting units converging on that area to try to protect it, Oliveira said. No homes were reported damaged just before 7 p.m.

Hawaii County firefighters and volunteer units from all over Kohala, along with firefighters from Pohakuloa Training Area were busy fighting the blaze on three fronts, Oliveira said. Firefighters battled the blaze with water and foam, soaking down power poles and using two helicopters with water drops to try to knock down the head of the blaze. A private bulldozer was being used to break fire lines.

Fanned by 30-plus mph winds, the fire raced mauka along the south edge of lower Kawaihae Road Saturday afternoon and also spread off to the south after originating near the junction of the two highways. Queen Kaahumanu Highway was closed to northbound traffic at Puako Drive and Kawaihae Road was closed from the 62 mile marker. Motorists were being advised to use Kohala Mountain Road, Highway 190 and Waikoloa Road as alternative routes.

The blaze jumped Queen Kaahumanu Highway near the telephone exchange, Oliveira said.

Traffic on Kawaihae Road was one lane around the fire trucks during the first couple of hours of the blaze. But firefighters and police closed the road in mid-afternoon as the fast-moving fire burned up to the very edge of the road in steep areas covered in parched grass and brush.