KAILUA-KONA — Firefighters quickly doused a brush fire that broke out early Thursday off Akoni Pule Highway in North Kohala.
Responding to the 1:35 a.m. alarm, firefighters with the North Kohala, Waimea and South Kohala fire stations found a 1-acre fire burning grass and small shrubs slowly being fanned westward, away from the highway in the vicinity of mile marker 11.5, according to the Hawaii Fire Department. The first units arrived on scene 15 minutes after the report was received.
When the first crews arrived, firefighters said the flames were about 5 feet in height. They had to use off-road vehicles to access the fire, which was declared out a few minutes before 2 a.m. and burned about 1 acre.
The unoccupied agricultural land is owned by the County of Hawaii, the department said.