Maui firefighters returned for the third day Sunday to a persistent compost fire at Central Maui Landfill.
Landfill employees will reassess the site this morning to determine whether the landfill can reopen for normal operating hours, said Maui Fire Department spokesman Edward Taomoto.
The fire started at about 2:40 p.m. Friday in a green-waste pile composed of whole-grain waste before it was to be processed into mulch. The pile was about 2 acres in size and about 15 feet tall at the Maui EKO Systems composting facility, which operates on a leased portion of the county landfill.
About half a dozen firefighters worked with EKO employees, who used heavy equipment to battle the fire. About three personnel from the county’s Department of Public Works also assisted with two water tankers.
Friday evening, firefighters had to leave the fire to respond to a brush fire starting on Pulehu Road, about 2 miles mauka of the landfill, Taomoto said.
Firefighters returned later Friday night and also spent the entire day Saturday working on the fire. Taomoto said progress was slowed by the deep-seated fire trapping heat inside the pile.
On Saturday the landfill was closed for business because smoky conditions created a safety hazard. The landfill is normally closed Sundays.
The fire’s cause was unknown.
HAWAII ISLAND
Pump failure causes water regulation for North Kona
North Kona residents were placed under an emergency water restriction Sunday because of a well shutdown.
The water restriction urged water customers to cease irrigation activities and immediately restrict water use to health and safety needs — such as drinking, cooking and hygiene purposes.
Hawaii County said the cause of a pump’s failure at the Department of Water Supply’s Honokohau Deepwell was being investigated, and the duration of the outage was unknown.
“Without everyone’s cooperation, there will be areas that will experience periodic loss of water service or lower water pressures,” the county said.
Service will be suspended for all temporary service and irrigation accounts, and the Department of Water Supply will restrict specific accounts due to excessive water use, the county said.
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