Fire at Keamuku Maneuver Area nearly contained

KAILUA-KONA — A spokesman for the USAG-Pohakuloa Training Area said Thursday afternoon the wildfire in the Keamuku Maneuver Area, which has now spread to 772 acres, is nearly contained.

A release from PTA cited dry conditions and unpredictable wind patterns, which kept the blaze going despite firefighting efforts that lasted through midnight Wednesday and resumed at dawn Thursday. The fire was initially reported at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning and initially thought to be contained by day’s end.

PTA Fire Chief Eric Moller described the fire as 80 percent contained as of noon Thursday, adding that there is no active burning.

A “dozer line,” described in the release as “a fire break the width of a bulldozer blade” is being dug around the blaze’s 5.5 mile perimeter. Once completed, Moller said he will consider the fire 100 percent contained.

Eric Hamilton, a spokesperson for PTA, said those traversing nearby areas should expect to see smoke as some sections within the containment area are likely to flare up. It doesn’t make sense nor is it possible, he said, to attempt to put out every single fire patch.

Instead, the approach is to cut a dozer line into the land and let the fire burn itself out. Moller said the affected area will be monitored for the next three weeks.

According to the release, firefighters surmise the current blaze was an extension of an earlier brush fire that occurred Jan. 26. It’s not uncommon for sub-surface smoldering to persist even after a fire appears extinguished, creating the potential for subsequent flare ups under dry and windy conditions.

As of yet, there are no reports of injuries or damage to any structures because of the fire. The PTA still advised travelers to proceed with caution, but noted it does not expect any road closures will be necessary.