Big Island firefighters today are mopping up a one-acre fire that had threatened several homes last night along South Point Road in Pahala.

The “slow moving” and “intense” fire involved brush and construction and building materials that had been collected by the property owner over five years, Big Island firefighters said today.
The fire was reported at 12:50 p.m. yesterday and grew to involve 13 Big Island firefighters, 10 volunteers, two tankers and a helicopter. A private bulldozer also was hired to cut a break around the fire to contain it, firefighters said.
The fire break was completed at 6 p.m. last night and crews battled the fire throughout the night, firefighters said.
The scene of the fire is a vacant lot filled with miscellaneous construction and building materials, surrounded by thick brush, firefighters said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.