Two residences were destroyed by the fast-moving fire, including a garage with an attached studio that burned Thursday on Wai Kulu Place at the southern edge of the Launiupoko subdivision. Two other homes in the subdivision were scorched by the fire Thursday, according to Maui County spokesman Mahina Martin.

A second firefighter was taken to the hospital Thursday night to be treated for smoke inhalation, as firefighters fended off flames that moved within feet of houses and burned through a gulch and other areas of dry brush in the subdivision.

Starting on a ridge above the subdivision, flames raced down the hillside, burning to the southern and western edges of Kai Hele Ku Street, the main road into the area from Honoapiilani Highway.

Wendell Payne, a 53-year-old pilot for Aloha Airlines, said he was startled how wind-blown flames covered a distance of at least half a mile in about five minutes to gut his three-car garage on Wai Kulu Place, which his family also used for a work studio and extra sleeping space.

When Payne and his 21-year-old son saw the fire approaching his 2?-acre property, they tried to hose down buffalo grass and kiawe, but the blaze overcame them and "it lit up that grass we were trying to wet down."

Flames shot up 20 feet high, and Payne, his wife, son and 16-year-old daughter found themselves with fire on three sides, with only the driveway as an escape route, he said. They raced away from the fire in two Toyota trucks.

"We were lucky to get out of there with our lives," he said. "The smoke and flames were intense. We had to get rid of everything and run for our lives."

As far as recovering any valuables from the burned structure, "we didn't get a thing out of there," he said, listing lost items as two surfboards, three sewing machines, a laptop computer and other belongings. Payne estimated it would take about $250,000 to replace everything destroyed by the fire.

"We were blessed that nobody got hurt," he said.

Other homes survived the fire, thanks to the efforts of Maui firefighters and wildland and helicopter crews, said Lahaina police Capt. Charles Hirata.

"They did an excellent job of protecting the homes," said Hirata, who was among seven officers helping evacuate Launiupoko residents about 4:15 p.m. Thursday. "They put up a goal-line stance. The fire kept on trying to creep back up, but they kept on battling back.

"A lot of people owe their homes to their efforts."

Hirata said West Maui Land Co. helped by creating two emergency exits for people to evacuate.

At midafternoon Friday, fire officials reported that the fire was 80 percent contained with north and south flank lines holding. At nearly 8 p.m., an emergency dispatch report called the fire 100 percent contained.

Other Launiupoko residents had close calls as well.

"We were just watching it and said, 'We've got to go,' " said Lisa Johnson, who moved into a rented house on Kai Hele Ku Street two weeks ago with her husband, Tim Gore, and their two children – Kelsey, 11, and James, 9. "By the time we got down the road, the fire was down there. You could see a big wall of flames."

The family had been on vacation, returning home Wednesday night only to find Honoapiilani Highway closed by the fire. They spent Wednesday night in their car, then spent Thursday night with friends in Kahana Ridge.

Her son was worried about the three cats, three chickens, two ducks and fish that were left behind. But when her husband returned to the house at 4 a.m. Friday, "the cats were in the driveway," Johnson said, and the chickens and ducks were fine.

She also credited firefighters with saving as much as they could.

"I didn't think that they would be able to save all the houses. It burned right up to all of them," Johnson said.

The fire burned 2 feet from one neighbor's house, scorching window screens but not touching the house, said Launiupoko resident Toni Johnson. "It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen."

She had left her home on Awaiku Street at 3:25 p.m. Thursday, when there was no wind in the subdivision, leaving her ex-husband's 13-year-old stepson home.

When friends called to say the subdivision was being evacuated, she was stuck in traffic, unable to reach her house and the boy. Johnson said she called police officers Audra Sellers and Stuart Farberow for help before motorcyclist Greg Howeth got the teen.

She said another friend, Steven Praver, helped her get back to her house on an all-terrain vehicle about 6:30 p.m. to rescue her three 60-pound dogs and a cat.

"The police and the firemen did an amazing job," she said.

That sentiment was shared by others, including Damon and Margo Gill, who weren't expecting to find the house they built on East Huapala Street standing.

The Gills, who have two daughters, raise goats and sell eggs from their Hula Kea Farms near the top of the subdivision.

"We loaded our goats, let the chickens out," Damon Gill said. "By the time we got out of here and drove down Kai Hele Ku, the fire had reached almost to the highway. It was really fast."

Added his wife: "It was a shock. It came so fast. Within a half-hour, it was an inferno."

Damon Gill said firefighters appeared to be focused on battling flames around homes at the southern edge of the subdivision as he and his wife drove out in a truck with their six goats and three cats.

"We hoped, but I really didn't think our house was going to survive," he said.

"It's a miracle," Margo Gill said. "We're just very thankful."

Nancy Kahn, whose family moved into their new home on Iliahi Way three weeks ago, said helicopters dipped buckets into their swimming pool Wednesday before setting up a water tank nearby.

The family, which also has a home in California, spent both Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Westin Maui.

"You just don't know what it's going to do," she said. "It was a firestorm, definitely."

Lisa Chappel, who lives on Wailau Place, said a Dumpster on the property burned but the house was spared.

"The diligence and the efforts of the Fire Department were amazing," she said. "I know that's the only reason I have a home. They worked so hard.

"They were right there at the very moment we needed them. Every time I see a firetruck, I'm going to blow them kisses."

Telephone service to West Maui was restored at 5:45 a.m. Friday, said Ann Nishida, Hawaiian Telcom spokeswoman. At about 7 p.m. Thursday, a fire-damaged fiber-optic line had prevented West Maui residents from calling 911, allowing them to dial only within West Maui prefixes. About 16,000 customers were affected, she said.

While crews worked on repairs, 911 calls from West Maui were rerouted to the Lahaina Police Station, said acting Lahaina police Lt. Ricky Uedoi. He said police received three emergency calls during the loss of regular phone service.

After three days of positioning officers on Honoapiilani Highway to direct traffic and at times close the road, police planned to leave the Olowalu fire command post at 6 p.m. Friday.

On Thursday night, 157 people used the emergency shelter at the Maui High School gymnasium, with about 80 staying overnight, said Francis Kau, a Maui County official. He said those seeking refuge included 27 people who arrived from England and other parts of Europe for a wedding.

At the Lahaina Civic Center gymnasium, 80 people showed up.

After being reopened at 9:45 p.m. Thursday, Honoapiilani Highway remained open throughout the day Friday.

Police and fire officials continued investigating the cause of the fire, which was reported at 10:34 a.m. Wednesday in an area above Olowalu General Store.

While a firebreak spared the store, Chez Paul restaurant and a juice stand along the highway, a house behind the store was destroyed and some mauka farms suffered losses.

Nine Maui Electric Co. poles near Olowalu were damaged by the fire, affecting about 50 customers in Olowalu before service was restored at 8 a.m. Thursday, said Kaui Awai-Dickson, MECO spokeswoman.

On Friday, three helicopters, six water tankers and four bulldozers were at the fire scene along with 40 firefighters, 11 state forestry workers and seven National Park Service workers.

At the request of Maui County officials, the Hawaii Air National Guard sent a Chinook helicopter with a 2,000-gallon bucket to help fight the fire Friday.

Glenn Shishido, forestry liaison with the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, said forestry and park service firefighters were working on the Kihei side of Olowalu Gulch to try to keep the fire from burning more state forest land. He estimated 900 acres of state land had burned, half of it in a natural area reserve.

Staff Writers Brian Perry and Travis Kaya contributed to this report.

Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.