Department of Land and Natural Resources

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

NEIL ABERCROMBIE GOVERNOR

WILLIAM J. AILA JR, CHAIRPERSON

For Immediate News Release January 14, 2014

DLNR FIREFIGHTERS CONTAIN WILDFIRE
IN PUU WAAWAA FOREST RESERVE
Mop-up work continues through Wednesday

HILO — Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) firefighters today continued their response to an estimated 150 acre brushfire which was first reported last night just after 6 p.m. An initial crew of five DLNR personnel and a bulldozer first responded to the fire Sunday evening, along with Hawaii County Fire Department.

Today, there were 22 Division of Forestry and Wildlife personnel who returned to the scene at 5 a.m., near upper Mamalahoa Highway, along with one brush truck, three engines, two water tenders, and one bulldozer. Crews worked to extinguish “hot spots within the fire perimeter and will continue to do so through Wednesday. Terrain in the fire area is flat to gently sloping.

Winds were light, and there was no rain. The fire is located in a remote area of Puu Waawaa forest reserve amid fountain grass and is thought to have been started by lightning from recent storm activity.

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Media Contact:
Deborah Ward
Public Information Specialist
(808) 587-0320