KAILUA-KONA — Three more fires broke out in West Hawaii early Thursday morning, less than a day after signs were posted asking for the public’s help ending a string of suspicious fires. ADVERTISING KAILUA-KONA — Three more fires broke out
KAILUA-KONA — Three more fires broke out in West Hawaii early Thursday morning, less than a day after signs were posted asking for the public’s help ending a string of suspicious fires.
Two of the small fires were located in the North Kona District and the third burned in South Kohala, according to Kona Fire Prevention Bureau Capt. Kazuo Todd, who oversees two fire investigators in Kona. That brings the total number of fires that have ignited in the two districts to eight over an eight-day period between Feb. 11 and Thursday. That number includes two fires that combined with others into three fires on the day the string of fires began.
Hawaii Fire Department Chief Darren Rosario told West Hawaii Today Thursday that his department continues to investigate all of the “highly suspicious” fires. Fire officials and police continue to need the community’s assistance to catch the person or persons responsible for charring nearly 1,150 acres.
“We just want the person involved to know that the community is working together, keeping their eyes open and we just ask you to behave yourself,” he said. “If not, eventually, you will get caught and be held accountable.”
Though the department is always ready to respond to any additional reports, doing so is putting some strain on services in the area, the chief said.
“What that does is take away resources from responding to other calls,” he said. “We always respond to every call that comes in, but when units are out of their district fighting a brush fire that was intentionally set, it does delay our response to other calls.”
All told, the fires have charred approximately 1,146 acres of mostly brush; however, state officials have said some native trees were lost. The fires have started primarily in the vicinity of Highway 190 between Kailua-Kona and Waimea.
The first of the latest trio of fires was reported about midnight in brush on the Waimea side of Hina Lani Street about halfway up the roadway from Queen Kaahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona. It burned less than acre by the time firefighters extinguished it.
The second report came in about 1:22 a.m. near mile marker 25 on Highway 190 on the Kona side of Puuanahulu. There, firefighters found a small fire burning on the makai side of the highway. They were able to keep the burn area to about 1,000 square feet.
The last of the fires was reported about 2:30 a.m. at the highway’s junction with old Saddle Road at mile marker 17. This fire consumed about 1 acre of land within Pohakuloa Training Area, Army officials told West Hawaii Today.
On Wednesday, firefighters quashed two fires off Highway 190 that broke out shortly after midnight. The fires consumed less than 2 acres combined and were extinguished.
On Feb. 11, firefighters responded to multiple brush fires in the vicinity of Highway 190 and Daniel K. Inouye Highway. The fires had five separate points of origin that combined into the three separate fires at the height of the blaze Thursday afternoon, fire officials said previously.
Two of the fires continued to smolder Thursday, state and federal officials said. A 775-acre brush fire on state land about four miles north of Puuanahulu is contained, but smoke continues to emanate within interior areas. A 320-acre brush fire off Daniel K. Inouye Highway in federal land at Pohakuloa Training Area also remained hot, though it posed no threat of escape.
Police continue to investigate the string of fires as arson, Hawaii Police Department Area II Maj. Mitchell Kanehailua said. Police and fire officials urge the public to report any suspicious activity in the area to Big Island police at 935-3311.
