Posted at 4:43 p.m., Tuesday, June 7, 2005
Families flee homes in Waikele blaze
Advertiser Staff
A brush fire in Waikele has consumed more than 70 acres and forced 18 households to evacuate.The fire started a little after 1 p.m. , on the mauka side of the H-1 Freeway at the bottom of the valley between Waikele and Village Park, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Emmit Kane. The fire shot up the valley, producing a lot of smoke and flying embers, Kane said.
The smoke was thick enough to force residents in 12 to 18 homes on Ka'aholo Road to leave of their own accord, Kane said.
The homeowners affected by the smoke will be forced to clean up the soot and other byproducts stirred up by the fire for several days, Kane said.
By 4:20 p.m., the fire was still not under control, although firefighters had secured the area of the blaze that burned closest to homes on Ka'aholo Road. Honolulu police officers were restricting access to the neighborhood while firefighters continued to work.
Twelve HFD companies supported by two federal fire companies fought the fire on the ground while HFD's Air One dropped water on the burning areas inaccessible by foot.
