HILO — Officials at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park know a fire Tuesday afternoon that burned about a 1/4 of an acre of native koa and ohia forest behind a cabin at Namakanipaio Campground was “human-caused” but aren’t sure if it was set accidentally or intentionally.
“There’s an arsonist working on the island … so we don’t want to rule out that possibility,” HVNP spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said Wednesday. “It’s also possible it could be an accident. Those little A-frame cabins have barbecues, each one of them. … So maybe somebody dumped embers. We’re not quite sure. That’s why we’re looking for witnesses, especially this person who allegedly saw what had happened and then left before anybody could get her name or contact information.”
Fire officials at the park are seeking to contact the woman, who, as Ferracane noted, departed before she could be interviewed further.
The fire started behind Cabin 3 shortly before 3 p.m., according to a written park statement. Hawaii Fire Department Engine 19, Volcano Volunteer Fire Company 19, and National Park firefighters quickly doused the fire with water.
No structures were burned, although flames came close to Cabin 3.
“There’s really dark black char and it goes all the way to that low-hanging roofline from that A-frame cabin. It was right underneath that cabin. We’re lucky … it was noticed right away,” Ferracane said.
No closures or evacuations were required.
Ferracane said, as far as she knows, the ohia destroyed in the fire likely wasn’t infected with the fungal disease known as rapid ohia death, which has affected more than 75,000 acres of trees on the Big Island.
“It’s pristine, as far as we know it,” she said. “I was talking to … our park botanist, Sierra McDaniel, and she was explaining to me that with this kind of thing, the ohia is probably not going to grow back. The koa will probably sprout back. It seems to be a bit hardier for fire recovery than ohia.
“That’s a lot of native forest, which is important.”
An investigation is underway. Witnesses and anyone with information about the fire are encouraged to call Park Dispatch at 985-6170. Callers may remain anonymous.
“With a hot and dry summer upon us, we’re definitely at an increased risk for fire in the park, and across the island,” said HVNP Fire Management Officer Greg Funderburk. “It’s important to remember that while parts of the island might be getting rainfall, other areas are very dry and quite susceptible to fire.”