Posted on: Tuesday, July 6, 2004

Maui phone service back after fire scorches cable

Associated Press

Telephone service on Maui was back to normal yesterday following a brush fire that damaged a main fiber optic cable in Kihei, Verizon Hawaii said.

The problem Sunday night affected 911 emergency calls and temporarily halted outgoing flights at Kahului Airport, officials said.

The disruption limited most Maui residents to on-island calling only, company spokeswoman Ann Nishida said.

Service was restored when the cable was repaired Sunday night, Verizon Hawaii said.

Telephone service began to be disrupted around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nishida said, even though fire officials reported the blaze was doused Sunday morning.

The blaze burned a 50-foot by 50-foot area, Maui Assistant Fire Chief Mark Paranada said.

With 911 emergency calling disrupted, some people had to walk to fire stations to report fires, Paranada said.