Fire officials continue to douse hotspots within a 393-acre brush fire that broke out about noon Monday near Waikii Ranch.
Pohakuloa Training Area Fire Chief Eric Moller said the blaze, located within the Keamuku Maneuver Area, was about 80 percent contained as of Tuesday morning. It was not growing in size, and firefighters were working extinguish flareups and hotspots within the burn area. Crews are also working to complete a firebreak around the fire, he added.
A Hawaii Fire Department battalion chief estimated the fire at about 500 acres Monday evening. The Army later estimated it at 50 acres.
However, Moller said Tuesday morning that the fire was about 393 acres. The fire did not grow overnight, he said, explaining that Army officials were unable to get a good estimate on the fire’s size because of darkness Monday night.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said. No buildings or structures have been damaged, and no injuries reported.
The fire broke out about noon Monday in the buffer space between the maneuver area and the ranch. County and federal firefighters, with the assistance of an Army UH-60 Blackhawk a county helicopter, battled the blaze.