Pukalani fire 100% contained, evacuation order lifted
UPDATE: 6 p.m.
The Maui Fire Department said the Pukalani fire is 100% contained as of 5:41 p.m. The Maui Emergency Management Agency has also lifted the evacuation order for residents off Akalani Loop and Kalialani Circle.
MFD said the preliminary estimate of the fire size is two acres. Crews and a fire investigator are still on the scene and no injuries or structural damages have been reported. Residents are being allowed to return to their homes.
5:25 p.m.
Maui Emergency Management Agency officials said at 5:20 p.m. that crews were “making good progress in the steep terrain, and beginning to mop up the fire. Air 1 and Air 2 continue to make water drops to support support the crews on the ground. We anticipate the evacuation orders will be lifted soon.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
PUKALANI, Maui >> Maui Fire Department officials have issued an evacuation order for some residents of Pukalani in Upcountry after a flare up of a brush fire this afternoon, just a day before the island commemorates the one-year anniversary of the deadly Aug. 8 fires.
The notice was issued at 3:28 p.m. and covers Akalani Loop and Kalialani Circle, according to the Maui Emergency Management Agency. MFD and Maui police officers were going door-to-door in the affected area and evacuees are being directed to the Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani, MEMA said.
“For the safety of the public, homes on Akalani Loop and Kalialani Circle are evacuated,” the notice said. “No other evacuations at this time. If you feel you and your family’s safety is impacted, you should evacuate now. Monitor radio, TV, and mobile devices for official information.”
Power is out for about 4,600 Hawaiian Electric Co. in Upcountry Maui as crews fight the blaze.
At about 3:45 p.m., officials said firefighters were “slowly getting a handle on the fire. It is in a deep gulch with very steep access. Air 1 is making water drops to good effect.”
MFD reported the brush fire at 2:55 p.m. in a gulch off Palalani Street in Pukalani. No injuries or structural damages have been reported due to the fire.
Fire officials has dispatched three engines, one wildland engine, one tanker and two aircraft, along with one Alpha Inc. tanker to the fire.
Pukalani resident Melissa Abellanida was watching her parents house, where she grew up, as the fire burned in the nearby gulch.
She told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that it was “only a matter of time before there was a fire on the gulch.”
Abellanida said a brush fire on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Aug. 8 wildfires felt “ominous.” And she was thinking of her cousins who lost their home Lahaina.
However, she said, Maui authorities acted quickly to today’s wildfire.
Maui police were on scene in a nearby neighborhood keeping onlookers back and advising people to be “ready to evacuate.” Some residents said they were staying put for now, but were prepared to leave if needed.
Hawaiian Electric, meanwhile, said that about 2,518 customers are without power in the Pukalani area and a secondary outage is also impacting 2,099 customers in parts of Kula, Olinda-Piiholo, and Makawao. HECO said the Pukalani outage was not a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
“For customers in Kula, Olinda/Piiholo and Makawao, power lines have been de-energized at the request of first responders as part of their response efforts,” according to a HECO social media post. “Once it is safe to do so, our crews will need to safely inspect our equipment and make any necessary repairs before we can restore power to customers. Mahalo for your patience.