Large Fire in Hawaii

From the Honolulu Advertiser:

HILO, Hawai'i — A brush fire that started Saturday under suspicious circumstances in the Mana Road area of the Big Island has burned an estimated 2,600 acres, and federal, state and county fire crews are working to contain the blaze.

Big Island Deputy Fire Chief Glen Honda said four helicopters were dumping water on the fire in an inaccessible area on the slopes of Mauna Kea today, with fire officials are focusing efforts this afternoon on protecting a single cabin in the isolated area.

A total of 35 firefighters and four helicopters are battling the blaze, which was first reported as two separate brushfires at 2:10 p.m. Saturday in Hakalau near Mana Road.

The fires later merged with one another to form a single 20-acre blaze, and grew to burn about 600 acres by Sunday evening. Most or all of the pasture land involved is state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Honda said.

Crews used bulldozers to cut fire breaks and conducted backburning along Mana Road to contain the fire and keep it from moving makai, but the fire continued to grow. It is burning mauka of Mana Road this afternoon.

County fire crews were working with a crew from the Pohakuloa training Area and staff from the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife to try to contain the blaze, Honda said.