Posted on: Saturday, May 14, 2005
Flare-ups feared in Nanakuli fire
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer
NANAKULI — After four exhausting days, hundreds of firefighter hours and some 1,700 acres of land consumed by a blaze authorities suspect was the result of arson, the Honolulu Fire Department declared the fire down but not out yesterday morning.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser Camara said although the fire was under control, it still presented a potential hazard that could flare up anew. Firefighters were keeping a careful eye on the numerous dust devils swirling around the valley ridges.
"What they will do is pick up the embers from the ground and roll them into the unburned area, which could create another brush fire," said Camara.
The fire began shortly after noon Tuesday and spread from Nanakuli Valley to Lualualei Valley on the other side of the ridge.
Camara said containing the flames required the coordinated efforts of the Honolulu Fire Department, federal firefighters and the state Department of Forestry.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser The number of HFD firefighters involved, which at one point numbered more than 100, was down to slightly more than three dozen yesterday.
Even as Camara spoke, four helicopters were in the air making water drops or carrying fresh firefighters into the valley, two at a time.
Personnel from the Nature Conservancy were also being delivered to the fire line to help ensure that the flames wouldn't spread into Honouliuli Preserve.
"The Conservancy preserve starts at the crest line up on top the ridge, and we think we can knock it out once and for all today," said Dan Sailer, preserve manager.
Classes at Nanakuli Elementary School and Nanakuli Intermediate and High School were called off Thursday because of so much smoke and soot wafting over the area, said Intermediate and High School principal, Levi Chang.
"It would have been impossible for them to focus," said Chang, who added that classes resumed on a regular schedule yesterday after the smoke had cleared up.
Senior Paul Malu, 17, who said he enjoyed the opportunity to sleep late on Thursday, tried to put a positive spin on the situation as he gazed at the charred ridges behind the school.
"At least now the mountain matches the school colors — black and yellow," he said.
Ka'u fire contained On the Big Island yesterday, firefighters contained a large brush fire that burned about 900 acres in the South Point area.
The fire began Thursday afternoon in the Green Sand beach area of South Point. Firefighters remained at the scene through Thursday night to battle the blaze, a fire official said.
The fire was declared contained yesterday afternoon, although fire crews were expected to continue to work the area through last night, the official said.
There were no reports of injuries or road closures as a result of the fire. The official also said no property was threatened by the blaze.
Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.
"Our major concern ... is making sure we put out all the embers and all the hot spots," said HFD Incident Commander Lionel Camara from a command post by the baseball field at Nanakuli Intermediate and High School.
Chad Koide, seated, left, and Kahale Pali, both with the Nature Conservancy, were airlifted by a Honolulu Fire Department helicopter to the fire line yesterday to help ensure that the flames wouldn't spread into Honouliuli Preserve.
As military helicopters dumped ocean water on Lualualei Valley, HFD choppers scooped up water from a 3,000-gallon water tank next to the baseball field to douse flare-ups along the Nanakuli Valley ridge.
Helicopters dumped water on stubborn hot spots on the mountainside.
