Puako Information Update for February 27th, 2020

1-acre brush fire leads to temporary lane closure of Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Highway 19) near Puako Thursday afternoon (February 27th).

The Hawaii Fire Department (HFD) along with the Hawaii Police Department (HPD) responded to report of a brush fire along Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Highway 19) near Puako Thursday afternoon (February 27th).

The initial call came in at 5:14 pm Thursday afternoon and HFD crews from the South Kohala and Waikoloa Fire Stations along with Battalion 2, volunteers from the Kohala Ranch station, and HPD officers from the South Kohala Patrol responded to the scene located at 71-mile marker of Queen Kaahumanu Highway just south of the Puako Beach Drive intersection.

Upon the arrival of emergency crews, bystanders passing by the area reported small brush fire started in the area of the 71-mile marker on Queen Kaahumanu Highway and slowly spreading to surrounding dry brush along the makai side of the highway. Windy conditions were also reported at the time of the first fire report.

Once emergency crews arrived on scene, HFD crews immediately worked to contain the fire from spreading further. HFD crews had the fire quickly under control just at 5:31 pm and were completing wet-down and mop-up operations. Fire burned an estimated 1 acres of open pasture land.

HPD officers temporary closed the southbound lane of Queen Kaahumanu Highway while HFD crews worked to extinguish the fire and was contra-flowing traffic in the northbound lane. The southbound lane of Queen Kaahumanu Highway was reopened just after 6:45 pm Thursday evening.

No injuries or damage to structures were reported. Cause of the fire remains under investigaiton.